Amid impending injury return, Hornets star LaMelo Ball dotes on girlfriend Ana Montana with sweet comment

Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball might be recovering from an ankle injury, but he is also enjoying his time off the court. His girlfriend, Ana Montana, took to her Instagram account and posted a photo of her in the bathroom after using a few new cosmetics.

"Only gets better," the caption said, with LaMelo Ball replying with a 'no lies' comment and four love emojis.

Ana Montana is a fitness model and brand ambassador. Her Instagram accont has 3.3 million followers. She and Ball have been in a relationship over the past few months.

LaMelo Ball Ana Montana

LaMelo Ball is in the final stage of rehabilitation and is expected to be back soon

LaMelo Ball has been out of action since Nov. 26, as he is recovering from an ankle injury. It appears that he has now entered the final stage of his recovery, as he returned to practice on Sunday and took part in 5-on-5 drills.

The Hornets are yet to reveal when their superstar will officially return, but we should expect this to happen soon. Without him in the lineup, the Hornets strugged on both ends and now are on the verge of another losing season.

Charlotte has won eight of its first 34 games and is 13th in the East. Only three teams (Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs) have a worse record than Charlotte, and it would be a major surprise if the franchise turns things around and fights for a spot in the playoffs.

Amid injury woes and chemistry issues, the Hornets are hopeful the return of LaMelo Ball will help them start winning games. Currently on a two-game losing skid, they have won just once over their past 10 games.

They were on an 11-game losing skid in December and the only positive thing so far is the performance of rookie Brandon Miller, who has shown that he can become a top player in the NBA moving forward.

Ball has appeared in just 15 of the Hornets' first 34 games with averages of 24.7 ppg, 8.2 apg and 5.5 rpg, on 38.8% shooting from beyond the arc.

"He is still the same guy personality wise. But, basketball games has definitely gotten one thousand times better. He came into the league with the potential to be a superstar and now he is a superstar. Personality wise, he hasn't changed a bit," teammate Nick Richards recently said about Ball, according to Sports Illustrated.

The Charlotte Hornets view LaMelo Ball as their franchise player and are optimistic that if he stays healthy, he can help the franchise become a legit playoff contender in the Eastern Conference.

Ball is in the final year of his rookie contract and his new deal (five years, $205 million) will kick off in the summer of 2024 and will expire in the summer of 2029.