Olympic Champ Marie Reichert Returns After ACL Injury

Marie Reichert is playing basketball again, and for her, that's already a victory worth celebrating.

The German 3x3 basketball star spent all of 2025 on the sidelines recovering from an ACL injury. Now she's back where she belongs, leading Germany's charge at the FIBA 3x3 World Cup in Warsaw, Poland, running June 1-7.

"It was a really tough year, not being able to play at all," Reichert told Olympics.com. "But I'm just super happy and proud to be back now."

Nearly two years ago, Reichert and her teammates stunned Spain 17-16 to win Olympic gold at Paris 2024. That triumph gave Germany its first Olympic medal in any form of basketball. The moment at Place de la Concorde became instant legend in German sports history.

The team looks different now. Only Reichert returns from that golden squad, joined by Britta Daub, Ama Degbeon, and Laura Zolper. Together, they've already proven they belong among the world's best, finishing group stage play with a perfect record to secure a direct spot in the quarter-finals.

Germany has never won a World Cup title in women's 3x3 basketball. Their best finish came in 2023 when they placed fifth. This refreshed roster isn't settling for participation trophies.

"We're a new squad now, a new team, but the goal is to win another medal here at the World Cup," Reichert said.

Why This Inspires

Reichert's journey back from injury shows what happens when athletes refuse to let setbacks define them. ACL tears end careers and dreams regularly in professional sports. Recovery requires months of grueling rehabilitation, mental toughness, and unwavering belief you'll return to form.

She didn't just come back to play. She came back to lead, to compete at the highest level, and to chase championships. That resilience radiates beyond sports, reminding anyone facing their own comeback that the court (or office, or stage, or classroom) is waiting when you're ready.

Her former teammate Sonja Greinacher, who played through a broken hand to earn tournament MVP honors in Paris, recently became an IOC Athlete Role Model for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. Young athletes worldwide now have two German champions showing them what perseverance looks like.

The Olympic Games LA28 already looms in the distance, and Reichert plans to be there for 3x3 basketball's third Olympic appearance.

For now, though, she's savoring every second on the court in Warsaw, making up for lost time and proving that champions find their way back.