By Rich Winter

605 Sports

Mahpiya Luta senior Taleah Lunderman is savoring every second of her senior season. 

Having battled through injuries, multiple surgeries and a global pandemic, Lunderman has become an integral cog for the Crusaders (22-0), who take on Vermillion in the first round of the Class A girls basketball tournament on Thursday in Brookings.

“Just before my eighth grade year I tore my ACL and then COVID hit my freshman year,” Lunderman said. “Before my sophomore year I started getting really bad shin splints and my ankles started bothering me.” 

Lunderman describes the injury to her ankles as not having enough cartilage between her ankles and a bone in her foot. 

“The bones were grinding and they had to add more cartilage and I sat out my sophomore year,” she said. 

After the knee surgery, Lunderman embraced her recovery. During the COVID year when the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation was on lock down, Lunderman’s father Ty Lunderman helped his daughter through the rehab and reignited her passion for the game. 

“Dad opened the gym at Porcupine School and we had a goal outside our house for me and my siblings,” Lunderman said. “We had our own little setup and we did ladders and footwork stuff.” 

The ankle surgery was another story and the realization of missing a third consecutive season was too much for Lunderman to endure. 

“I called coach Matt Rama and told him I just couldn’t go through the process again,” she said. 

Rama convinced Lunderman to be part of the team as manager during her sophomore season. 

“She was coming up and had a hard time being injured,” Rama said. “I just wanted her to be part of the team and part of the experience.”

During those dark moments of not being able to play, Lunderman said she found inspiration from former Red Cloud standout and Northeast Community College (Nebraska) sophomore Sharissa Haas.

“She was someone I looked up to and she encouraged me to keep playing,” Lunderman said. 

Lunderman spent her junior year getting back into shape and regaining her confidence.

“Last year, assistant coach Amanda Carlow told me I was a leader on the junior varsity team,” she said. “I played every role, loved doing everything and that boosted my confidence.” 

Porcupine is about 40 miles from Mahpiya Luta School and last summer, Lunderman dove back into basketball. 

“Matt got me a job at Red Cloud this summer,” she said. “I’d do a morning workout and then work during the day. I’d do another workout in the afternoon and then help with the Lil’ Saders basketball program.” 

Rama watched this summer as Lunderman, a 5-foot-9 forward, worked her way back into shape. He said including Taleah over the last few seasons wasn’t about wins and losses, it was about offering an experience to a young person. 

“You shouldn’t coach just for the wins but coach for the kids,” Rama said. “Taleah is a good kid and a good person and I just wanted to be part of something.”

Prior to the start of the 2023-24 season Lunderman was named as a starter. Entering the state tournament Lunderman is averaging 8.1 points, 5.6 rebounds per game and 1.9 steals per game. On a team that lacks a true post, Lunderman’s versatility has been integral for the Crusaders’ success. 

Against Wall, in the championship game of the 2023 Lakota Nation Invitational, Lunderman scored 18 points, grabbed eight rebounds and finished with two blocked shots in a 67-43 win. Lunderman was named the MVP of that championship game. 

“After that game our whole team was happy but I had several people ask me why I was crying,” she said. “I always looked up to people that were MVPs and I never saw myself in that position so that was extremely emotional for me.” 

Rama paid tribute to a player who came through a gauntlet of challenges to have a special senior year. 

“After all these frustrations and all these years I’m really happy for her,” he said. “She’s had this beautiful year and she’s worked really hard for everything she’s gotten.”