Shyla Heal back with 'Venom' in three months

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Australian women's basketball star Shyla Heal is expected back on the floor with WNBL club Geelong Venom within three months after suffering a knee injury on July 5, 2025 in NBL1.

Heal, 23, slipped on a wet spot in the midst of a heater for Bankstown Bruins against Penrith Panthers is expected to only miss limited Venom games at the start of the season.

She told basketball.com.au she suffered grade two tears of her left knee Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL), Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) and patella.

"If any were grade three it would’ve been nine months, so, very grateful!" Heal said.

Heal, who had 13 points in just 15 minutes against the Panthers on 4-from-8 from the field, including 2-from-3 threes, three assists and two steals, caught the ball on the left wing when he left leg slipped out from under her, twisting badly.

It was her seventh game for the Bruins since returning from the US after being waived by the Phoenix Mercury during training camp ahead of the 2025 WNBA season.

Heal, one of Australia's best shooting guards, signed with the Venom on June 16, 2025 for the 2025-26 WNBL season, two days after lighting up the Illawarra Hawks for 29 points on 7-from-12 from the field (3-from-5 from deep), six rebounds, five assists, two steals and no turnovers in 31 minutes.

Geelong faces Heal's former club Sydney Flames on October 18 and then has two more games before the end of October. Heal is already six weeks into rehab, posting workout videos to Instagram, which means she is about 10 weeks away from playing.

The Venom tackle the Flames in nine weeks and four days — 67 days in total.

Saturday, 18 October 2025

• Geelong United v Sydney Flames (Geelong Arena)

Saturday, 25 October 2025

• ‍Geelong United v Adelaide Lightning (Geelong Arena)

Tuesday, 28 October 2025

• Bendigo Spirit v Geelong United (Red Energy Arena)

"Monday sesh to start the week🧘🏼♀️" she wrote. "Limited with what I can do in the gym but we stay showing up".

Heal was lured to Geelong by the opportunity to play alongside former teammates Elissa Brett, Gemma Potter, Jazmin Shelley and Taylor Mole.

"What also drew me to Geelong was the girls I will be playing with," Heal revealed at the time of her signing.

"I went to the AIS with a few of the girls already on the team, Jaz, Gemma, Elissa and Taylor, so that was a positive for me because I know we will have a great culture with great people around and also have a chance to seriously compete."

It was also the opportunity to play where her father Shane Heal hooped from 1989 to 1991 for the now defunct Supercats, and win a second WNBL title. Heal won the WNBL title with Townsville Fire in 2023.

"I'm really excited to be a part of the club," Shyla added.

"I feel like I’ve got an opportunity to help women’s basketball to take a step forward and keep growing in Geelong and the outer regions."

"Shyla’s made tremendous improvement at both ends of the floor over the last couple of years in Europe, which is a massive credit to her and the hard work she puts in,” Geelong Venom head coach Chris Lucas said.

“I just feel like she's gone to another level, and is still a very determined young athlete that wants to get better.

"We've got a true point guard now, someone that can carry the team.

"I think her and Jaz Shelley are going to be a terrific combo in the back court.

"To have somebody purely run the point guard and be an extension of me on the floor is something I'm really looking forward to."

In the meantime, Heal has been in the gym rehabbing a knee injury that could have been so much worse.

What is a Grade 2 Medial Collateral Ligament injury

A Grade 2 Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) tear is a partial tear of the MCL — one of the four main ligaments in the knee that stabilizes the joint and prevents it from bending inward.

Here’s the breakdown:

What the MCL does

• Runs along the inner side of the knee (from femur to tibia).
• Resists valgus stress (inward bending of the knee).
• Helps keep the knee stable during side-to-side movement.

Typical recovery

• Treatment: Usually non-surgical — rest, ice, compression, elevation (RICE), bracing, physiotherapy
• Return to sport: Often 4–6 weeks, but can be longer depending on:
  • Severity of the partial tear
  • Athlete’s conditioning
  • Whether other knee structures are also injured

What is a Grade 2 Posterior Cruciate Ligament injury

A Grade 2 Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) tear is a partial tear of the PCL — the ligament at the back of the knee that keeps the shinbone (tibia) from sliding backward too far relative to the thighbone (femur).

What the PCL does

• Sits inside the knee joint, behind the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL).
• Prevents posterior translation of the tibia (backward movement).
• Helps control knee stability during deceleration, landing, and cutting.

Recovery

• Treatment: Often non-surgical for isolated Grade 2 injuries:
  • Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation (RICE)
  • Knee bracing to limit backward tibial movement
  • Physical therapy to strengthen quads, hamstrings, glutes, and improve knee stability
• Return to sport: Typically 6–8 weeks, but may be longer if:
  • There’s associated meniscus or ligament damage
  • The athlete needs high-level pivoting and cutting stability