ADAMS TWP — The pain in Tai Johnson's right shin wouldn't go away.

It lingered. It bothered her. It hindered her preparation for her junior season as a guard for the Mars girls basketball team.

Weeks after feeling the initial bursts of soreness in September, she got the news she had feared.

“I thought, if anything, it was just shin splints,” Johnson said.

It was more than that, however. She was diagnosed with a stress reaction in her shin and the prognosis was wide open.

“I had to rest it or it would turn into a stress fracture,” Johnson said. “It was really hard because I love being in the gym. I wanted to be practicing and playing, but I knew I had to rest it and let it heal.”

How long that would take was anyone's guess.

So Johnson made the best of a bad situation.

She went to rehab. She took thousands of free throws and form shots in the gym, her feet cemented to the floor. She worked on her conditioning in the pool and on stationary bikes — anything that didn't involve jumping or running.

During her downtime she also found other ways to help the team.

She was on the court and encouraging her teammates during pregame warmups. On the bench, she offered advice and support.

She even went to every practice she could, even though she couldn't participate.

“Even though I couldn't be out on the court during games or practices, it was important for me to be with my teammates and have an impact with my team,” Johnson said.

Mars coach Dana Petruska said she was impressed with the way Johnson handled her injury.

“She showed a lot of leadership,” Petruska said. “It could have been easy for her to sit and pout. She's very close with a lot of the girls on the team. They're a hoot. This is the closest team I've ever had.”

Johnson missed five games. When she was finally cleared, she made an immediate impact with 16 points in a win against Montour.

Johnson said her return was like her first varsity game as a freshman all over again.

“I was so hyped,” she said, laughing. “I was really excited and really jittery. It was just so good to be playing again.”

In the 10 games since she's been back in the lineup, Johnson is averaging nearly 16 points per game.

Perhaps more importantly, Mars (11-4) is 9-1 since her return — the only loss a two-point setback to Hampton.

“It was nice to see all those form shots I took to maintain my form and keep my strength and all the cardio work and rehab I did paid off,” Johnson said.

But the 5-foot-7 sparkplug, who is nearing 1,000 career points, still feels pain in the leg.

After Monday's game, she had to take Tuesday's practice off to rest and played only eight minutes in a blowout win against Valley Thursday.

“She's one of those kids that in the heat of the battle will not tell you it's bothering her,” Petruska sad. “But Monday she came to me and said it was bothering her after the game. We're not able to practice with her at game speed.”

Johnson, though, hasn't let it affect her play when she is on the court.

She is, though, cognizant of the pain and soreness and knows when to let up, she said.

“I feel it every now and then, but it's getting to the point now where I'm getting a little used to it,” Johnson said. “I don't want to push it too much. I have to listen to my body.”

Mars has a solid core with senior Lauren Wasylson, who just got her 1,000th career point, sophomore Bella Pelaia and Johnson.

Johnson's sister, Alek, has also played a key roll for the Planets.

“We are very excited,” Tai Johnson said. “We have a very close team on and off the court.”