"It's hard to fathom what's going on." Pitt basketball player announces cancer diagnosis

PITTSBURGH — Just a few years after a cancer battle for James Conner, Pitt Athletics again has an athlete battling cancer.

Junior basketball guard Kyla Nelson was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumor of the appendix late last week, according to the university.

Just a day later, she was at her team's first practice of the season, going through full drills and plays.

"It's hard to fathom what's going on because physically I feel really good," Nelson said.

Through the school, Nelson said: "Cancer is a scary word for anyone.  I feel very lucky that the discovery was made at this early stage. I am grateful to be surrounded by such an amazing medical institution like Pitt and a team that is loving and supportive. My roommate has been great and I also have a family I can lean heavily on, even with the long distance between us."

The tumor was first discovered last month after Nelson underwent an appendectomy. Nelson will have surgery next week, and she’s expected to make a full recovery. The school says she plans to return to the court and play for the Panthers this season.

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"My focus after surgery is full recovery," said Nelson. "I feel physically well and aim to get back on the court to help this team achieve all of our goals for this season as soon as possible."

Women’s basketball coach Lance White shared her optimism, saying: "Our Pitt women's basketball family and athletic department are completely behind Kyla and we will give her all the support she needs during recovery.  We look forward to having her back on the court."

Nelson is coming off of her best season as a Panther last year, when she averaged a career-high 6 points and 2.2 rebounds per game while ranking fourth in the ACC in 3-point field goal percentage (40.4%) and connecting on a team-high 42 triples. The England native made eight starts and appeared in 30 games as a sophomore.

Nelson said she won't need to have chemotherapy or radiation for now. She will get yearly CT scans, and if the cancer comes back, that could change.

But for now, it's one step at a time: surgery, recovery and return to basketball.

Cox Media Group