An Australian native who has overcome two ACL injuries, UND's Juliet Gordon hoping to finish career strong

Oct. 27—GRAND FORKS — Five years ago, then-UND women's basketball assistant coach Mallory Bernhard came across an email — like thousands of others — asking to take a look at a college basketball prospect's highlights.

The prospect was Juliet Gordon from Adelaide, Australia.

"Right away, I was, like, this kid can really play," said Bernhard, now head coach of the Fighting Hawks. "We knew some people in Australia and made some phone calls. I got to know her a bit, and it really clicked with her."

Five years later, Gordon has gone to college more than 9,000 miles from home, undergone two ACL tears, earned a degree and got engaged.

Gordon's UND career has been a long winding road but Gordon and UND hope a healthy 2022-23 season can lead to a valuable role for a rising Fighting Hawks program.

"She's going to have to provide a lot of roles for us," Bernhard said. "She's going to have to be tough inside for us from time to time. She'll have to step up and rebound.

"She's tough as nails, and I've really been impressed with her shooting this fall. We've talked in the past about her being a more consistent shooter and being a threat. Statistically, in practice, she's been one of our better shooters."

When Gordon first heard from UND, she had to Google 'North Dakota.'

"(Bernhard) would leave the office Friday night, and I'd wake up Saturday morning to chat," Gordon said of the recruiting process. "I'd never heard of North Dakota before."

Gordon first visited UND in April, seeing snow for the first time. She went sledding with the team.

"I wasn't prepared for the January snow," Gordon said. "That's very different (than April snow), but I've gotten used to it."

Gordon is engaged to UND wide receiver Garett Maag. She plans to stay in the United States after her college basketball career ends.

"The UND community and program and how much of a family it is, I want to stay here," Gordon said.

Gordon, who has three sisters, grew up playing Australian football and basketball. She chose to come to the U.S. for basketball because Australia doesn't have the same combination of academics and athletics in higher education.

"I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and have that combination of athletics and academics," said Gordon, who's working toward a master's degree in kinesiology.

Gordon, whose hometown of Adelaide has more than a million people, goes back to Australia once a year for two or three weeks. Her parents live on the coast in southern Australia.

"Literally on the beach," Gordon said. "Going home in May was cool to walk on the beach and go for a swim. It was cold but not Grand Forks cold."

Gordon's parents come to Grand Forks annually in January and February. Because the seasons are flipped between the United States and Australia, the Gordons swap Australian summer for North Dakota winter.

"They must really love me to leave that weather," Gordon said.

Gordon played as a freshman sparingly, coming off the bench just a couple of minutes per game.

She was then injured in practice her sophomore season, missing the entire year. Gordon returned for the 2020-21 season and found success. The 5-foot-11 forward averaged about 20 minutes per game and ended with 7.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.

To start the 2021-22 season, though, Gordon injured the same knee in a slightly different spot during the exhibition opener and she missed the entire season again.

"It was during the exhibition, so it didn't count toward eligibility," Gordon said. "I feel healthy and confident in my knee now. I appreciate the (physical therapy) and sports medicine teams. I'm thankful for Kathy Ziegler who was a huge part of me getting back both physically and mentally."

With UND losing posts Melissa Leet and Olivia Lane off last season's team, UND will need the undersized Gordon to help out down low this year.

"My role is to be a physical, tough-nosed kid," Gordon said.

Bernhard has been impressed with Gordon's approach to recovery.

"I don't think there's anyone tougher than (Gordon)," she said. "You see it on the floor. You never want to see anyone hurt but if someone can battle back and handle it, she has the mindset and mentality to do it. I see her coming back as strong as ever."

Gordon likes what she sees from the UND program that has experienced the ups and downs during her five years.

"Coach Mal has done a really good job turning this program into something that turns out positive, confident young women," Gordon said. "My teammates are life-long friends, and I'm thankful the program is where it is. To see that development is really cool."