Details on Kia's stress (fracture) injury to ankle

[oldude]

One of the bits of news from last night’s HBO episode was the disclosure by UConn trainer Janelle Francisco that Kia’s right ankle injury is to her medial malleolus, which is the prominence on the tibia on the inner side of the ankle. While Janelle, as well as Geno, have described it as a “stress reaction,” the injury is in fact a fracture of the bone.

Such injuries typically occur when you roll an ankle, or from repetitive actions such as running or jumping. If the fracture were displaced, surgery would be required, so my assumption is that Kia’s stress fracture is not displaced.

In such instances the treatment is rest, a walking boot and/or crutches for several weeks, followed by strengthening and balancing exercises, some of which we saw in last night’s episode. The prognosis for recovery is usually good, but can take anywhere from several weeks to six months.

Watching Kia run during the AAC tournament, while she is better, she’s not 100% yet. Obviously, Kia is one tough lady. She is not going to wait a month to get back on the court with the NCAA tournament around the corner. I would expect that she is going to therapy a couple times a day. Along with practice, that’s a tough grind, but when you’re chasing a national championship, pain is a secondary consideration. I have said before of Kia, she plays basketball with the mindset of a hockey player.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Best description of Kia comes from her father: "she’s a nasty piece of business."

 

[Tonyc]

Well I would expect her limited practice time over the next week or so and then in the first round of the NCAAs playtime will be based on her condition. We will need her for the Regional s and FF. With that said even limited playtime over the next couple of weeks will give her time to get up to speed.

 

[oldude]

Well I would expect her limited practice time over the next week or so and then in the first round of the NCAAs playtime will be based on her condition. We will need her for the Regional s and FF. With that said even limited playtime over the next couple of weeks will give her time to get up to speed.

Agree that Kia's practice time will be limited, particularly the running part. At the same time, she can spend a good amount of time shooting from the arc, which would place minimal stress on the ankle, while allowing Kia to get her rhythm back.

 

[bags27]

As we've said, the luck of this is that there is an honest 3 guard rotation available now. Saniya has really stepped up and Crystal is developing. Tough luck, but worse would have been one of UConn's wings/forwards.

OTOH, Lou seems to have lost a step on defense, and her man just seems to blow right by her, so, with Crystal being short and still learning, Saniya only recently becoming a reasonable defender, and Kia perhaps limited in action and/or in full mobility, perimeter defense is definitely a concern. Since UConn has all year worried about its height disadvantage and short bench in underneath players, who now may have to work even harder and risk fouling even more if the perimeter is more easily penetrated, makes everything even more fragile. We live in interesting times!

 

[huskyd]

As we've said, the luck of this is that there is an honest 3 guard rotation available now. Saniya has really stepped up and Crystal is developing. Tough luck, but worse would have been one of UConn's wings/forwards.

OTOH, Lou seems to have lost a step on defense, and her man just seems to blow right by her, so, with Crystal being short and still learning, Saniya only recently becoming a reasonable defender, and Kia perhaps limited in action and/or in full mobility, perimeter defense is definitely a concern. Since UConn has all year worried about its height disadvantage and short bench in underneath players, who now may have to work even harder and risk fouling even more if the perimeter is more easily penetrated, makes everything even more fragile. We live in interesting times!

I agree with your first paragraph, but I think that the progress by Saniya and Crystal has been remarkably good and that Lou's work on defense is also improved. I watched KLS against USF specifically to see if she could stay in front of the player she was guarding--and, mostly, she did. Geno expresses skepticism about the Husky defending, too, but then adds that somehow "we still win." However, you're correct if you make the argument that whatever the shortcomings on defense, UConn has enough fire power to overcome them. Six more games . . .

 

[donalddoowop]

They can play a zone if necessary. They play it well.

 

[Tenspro2002]

OTOH, Lou seems to have lost a step on defense, and her man just seems to blow right by her, so, with Crystal being short and still learning, Saniya only recently becoming a reasonable defender, and Kia perhaps limited in action and/or in full mobility, perimeter defense is definitely a concern. Since UConn has all year worried about its height disadvantage and short bench in underneath players, who now may have to work even harder and risk fouling even more if the perimeter is more easily penetrated, makes everything even more fragile. We live in interesting times!

Perimeter defense is one of the few remaining concerns. We've seen a few teams get wide-open looks from 3, which is problematic since in order for a team to beat us, they're going to have to hit probably 10+ 3's. A few other teams have been able to get to the rim without much resistance at times.

Geno also alluded to the fact that given our limited depth, we can't necessarily defend as aggressively as we'd like, at the risk of fouls. It could be a conscious decision to "allow" a little more offense from the other team in order to keep our full complement on the floor at the other end.

 

[Ozimoto]

I am glad to see Kia back on the court, but I hope she doesn't rush things. It would be a shame for her if the ankle does not fully heal and becomes a problem for her in the future.

 

[oldude]

I am glad to see Kia back on the court, but I hope she doesn't rush things. It would be a shame for her if the ankle does not fully heal and becomes a problem for her in the future.

Everything I read about a stress fracture like Kia has is that it will heel in time. The only question I have is whether she is accelerating her rehab in order to play, which might result in reinjuring the ankle. I have to believe that the medical staff at UConn has signed off on Kia playing, or Geno wouldn't let her back on the court.

Kia got through the 1st test of 3 games in 3 days, and now has almost 2 weeks before she has to go hard again. I am anxious to see how well she's moving in the Huskies 1st game in the tournament.

 

[UcMiami]

Oldude - thanks for the detail, but not completely accurate - stress reactions may not show any sign of a fracture line in the bone, but rather be general weakening of the bone structure/matrix at a point of repetitive impact. Based on the information presented we really don't know if there is any fracture line in the bone. Had they used the term stress fracture (which I believe they did with Lou's injury last April), that is a clear distinction, but 'stress reaction' covers non-displaced fractures and the more nebulous weakening. Treatment of the two situations is pretty similar, but the 'weakening' is generally a shorter recovery period it appears.

As far as playing, it doesn't appear on TV as if she is favoring her foot during action and I don't see any noticeable loss of speed, acceleration, or lateral movement. People at the games say they saw some favoring but I think it non-game action moments. With the taping and bracing I am sure there is less natural range of motion which may be causing that opposed to actual pain.

 

[oldude]

Oldude - thanks for the detail, but not completely accurate - stress reactions may not show any sign of a fracture line in the bone, but rather be general weakening of the bone structure/matrix at a point of repetitive impact. Based on the information presented we really don't know if there is any fracture line in the bone. Had they used the term stress fracture (which I believe they did with Lou's injury last April, that is a clear distinction, but 'stress reaction' covers non-displaced fractures and the more nebulous weakening. Treatment of the two situations is pretty similar, but the 'weakening' is generally a shorter recovery period it appears.

As far as playing, it doesn't appear on TV as if she is favoring her foot during action and I don't see any noticeable loss of speed, acceleration, or lateral movement. People at the games say they saw some favoring but I think it non-game action moments. With the taping and bracing I am sure there is less natural range of motion which may be causing that opposed to actual pain.

Thanks for the clarification UcM. If you're not a doctor, surely you stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

 

[UcMiami]

On the defense - I think we saw a much more aggressive defensive approach in all three games of the tournament than has been the norm this year - even in the low energy start to the second game, they were still approaching the defense with more pressure, they were just a step slow. And in the USF game they were all over it from the start until they started picking up silly fouls in the third quarter. I think Saniya has come on really strongly defensively this year to go with her steady presence on offense, and Lou is vastly improved as well. Dangerfield the last few weeks has also really focused on her defense. Every defender can be wrong footed and blown past and it happens in every game, but it hasn't been happening a lot. I found the little snippet of CD coaching the forwards about closing out 'big' and not 'skinny' on the baseline to be really interesting, concerned about giving up the baseline because the players were not wide enough when they moved out. Which gets me to:

UConn more than any other team teaches team principles on defense when working with individual skills - they know offensive players are going to beat their defenders frequently one on one so they are teaching players to 'get beaten' the right way - on tangents that take them toward the sidelines and corners and towards their help defenders, or toward their weaker hand. It is the essence of good defense - don't give up the middle of the court, and don't allow your opponent to do what they are comfortable doing. And it acknowledges the reality that very few defenders can actually stay in front of very good offensive players. The trick is to make them uncomfortable and to disrupt their rhythm.

 

[UcMiami]

Thanks for the clarification UcM. If you're not a doctor, surely you stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

Neither, but I am a master of The Google!

 

[Longtime fan]

One of the bits of news from last night’s HBO episode was the disclosure by UConn trainer Janelle Francisco that Kia’s right ankle injury is to her medial malleolus, which is the prominence on the tibia on the inner side of the ankle. While Janelle, as well as Geno, have described it as a “stress reaction,” the injury is in fact a fracture of the bone.

Such injuries typically occur when you roll an ankle, or from repetitive actions such as running or jumping. If the fracture were displaced, surgery would be required, so my assumption is that Kia’s stress fracture is not displaced.

In such instances the treatment is rest, a walking boot and/or crutches for several weeks, followed by strengthening and balancing exercises, some of which we saw in last night’s episode. The prognosis for recovery is usually good, but can take anywhere from several weeks to six months.

Watching Kia run during the AAC tournament, while she is better, she’s not 100% yet. Obviously, Kia is one tough lady. She is not going to wait a month to get back on the court with the NCAA tournament around the corner. I would expect that she is going to therapy a couple times a day. Along with practice, that’s a tough grind, but when you’re chasing a national championship, pain is a secondary consideration. I have said before of Kia, she plays basketball with the mindset of a hockey player.

Kia is as tough as they come. It is my understanding that the team had all of this week off, and re-groups tomorrow. With treatment, Kia will have these two weeks to fully recover, which should help a lot. But stress fractures are volatile and can recur. It really took Katie all the off season to be 100%. So Crystal will have to be ready, in case Kia is limited.

 

[JordyG]

One of the bits of news from last night’s HBO episode was the disclosure by UConn trainer Janelle Francisco that Kia’s right ankle injury is to her medial malleolus, which is the prominence on the tibia on the inner side of the ankle. While Janelle, as well as Geno, have described it as a “stress reaction,” the injury is in fact a fracture of the bone.

Such injuries typically occur when you roll an ankle, or from repetitive actions such as running or jumping. If the fracture were displaced, surgery would be required, so my assumption is that Kia’s stress fracture is not displaced.

In such instances the treatment is rest, a walking boot and/or crutches for several weeks, followed by strengthening and balancing exercises, some of which we saw in last night’s episode. The prognosis for recovery is usually good, but can take anywhere from several weeks to six months.

Watching Kia run during the AAC tournament, while she is better, she’s not 100% yet. Obviously, Kia is one tough lady. She is not going to wait a month to get back on the court with the NCAA tournament around the corner. I would expect that she is going to therapy a couple times a day. Along with practice, that’s a tough grind, but when you’re chasing a national championship, pain is a secondary consideration. I have said before of Kia, she plays basketball with the mindset of a hockey player.

"What is a stress fracture of the medial malleolus?
The bony lump on the inside of the ankle is known as the medial malleolus. This arises from the lower end of the shin bone (tibia – figure 1). During weight bearing activity compressive forces are placed through the medial malleolus. When these forces are excessive or too repetitive and beyond what the bone can withstand, bony damage gradually occurs. This initially results in a bony stress reaction, however, with continued damage may progress to a stress fracture of the medial malleolus".

It is my opinion and as stated by the diagnosis of the UConn medical staff that this injury had yet to progress to a fracture and was caught in the "stress reaction" phase. The prognosis for a fracture or a stress reaction is the same as is the course of treatment.

 

[Carnac]

As we've said, the luck of this is that there is an honest 3 guard rotation available now. Saniya has really stepped up and Crystal is developing. Tough luck, but worse would have been one of UConn's wings/forwards.

OTOH, Lou seems to have lost a step on defense, and her man just seems to blow right by her, so, with Crystal being short and still learning, Saniya only recently becoming a reasonable defender, and Kia perhaps limited in action and/or in full mobility, perimeter defense is definitely a concern. Since UConn has all year worried about its height disadvantage and short bench in underneath players, who now may have to work even harder and risk fouling even more if the perimeter is more easily penetrated, makes everything even more fragile. We live in interesting times!

Which is the chief reason why I think Stevens will start next season. Her height is needed in the starting line up. It will take pressure off of Napheesa and Gabby. Right now they're being asked to guard players 2-3 inches taller than them in the paint. I realize I'm getting ahead things here. This will be a heated topic of debate during the summer. Kia is the one UConn player that can religiously keep her man in front of her, and the staff knows it.

 

[JordyG]

Which is the chief reason why I think Stevens will start next season. Her height is needed in the starting line up. It will take pressure off of Napheesa and Gabby. Right now they're being asked to guard players 2-3 inches taller than them in the paint. I realize I'm getting ahead things here. This will be a heated topic of debate during the summer. Kia is the one UConn player that can religiously keep her man in front of her, and the staff knows it.

With the reports coming out of practice Z not starting to me would be a surprise. With Saniya graduating the question then becomes how will Geno handle it? If Lou moves to the 2 she can be taken advantage of by smaller, quicker 2's. If Crystal Dangerfield continues her arc of improvement how will the front 3 shake out? We'll all know in a short 8 months.

 

[hoophuskee]

With the reports coming out of practice Z not starting to me would be a surprise. With Saniya graduating the question then becomes how will Geno handle it? If Lou moves to the 2 she can be taken advantage of by smaller, quicker 2's. If Crystal Dangerfield continues her arc of improvement how will the front 3 shake out? We'll all know in a short 8 months.

Between the 2/3 positions, or even the 1/2/3, whoever is the better scorer, why not put Gabby on that player? And I'm not sure it matters much anyways because they switch on everything this year so Lou has already been defending the quicker players.

 

[oldude]

Between the 2/3 positions, or even the 1/2/3, whoever is the better scorer, why not put Gabby on that player? And I'm not sure it matters much anyways because they switch on everything this year so Lou has already been defending the quicker players.

That's fine for a team like USF, where Gabby dogged their best shooter (Laksa) into a miserable shooting game, but against teams with strong post players, Gabby is the Huskies best low post defender.

 

[Scotter]

That's fine for a team like USF, where Gabby dogged their best shooter (Laksa) into a miserable shooting game, but against teams with strong post players, Gabby is the Huskies best low post defender.

But your premise was that Z was also starting. The whole idea is that at 6'6" she would be guarding the low post so UConn is no longer at a height disadvantage in the post, and Collier continues to improve defensively to suplement her. The way Geno applied the matchups against Notre Dame for example I think was telling. He started off with Collier guarding Brianna Turner and put Gabby on Ogunbowale to basically take her out of the game by Gabby not letting her even catch the ball. Gabby's professional future is on the perimeter, and the best thing for her is to get that transition started as much as possible next season

Just think of next year's 2-3 zone with Kia and Gabby up top and Z at 6'6" in the middle with Collier and Samuelson's length on the wings to go along with the usual switching man defense.

 

[BroadwayVa]

a

One of the bits of news from last night’s HBO episode was the disclosure by UConn trainer Janelle Francisco that Kia’s right ankle injury is to her medial malleolus, which is the prominence on the tibia on the inner side of the ankle. While Janelle, as well as Geno, have described it as a “stress reaction,” the injury is in fact a fracture of the bone.

Such injuries typically occur when you roll an ankle, or from repetitive actions such as running or jumping. If the fracture were displaced, surgery would be required, so my assumption is that Kia’s stress fracture is not displaced.

In such instances the treatment is rest, a walking boot and/or crutches for several weeks, followed by strengthening and balancing exercises, some of which we saw in last night’s episode. The prognosis for recovery is usually good, but can take anywhere from several weeks to six months.

Watching Kia run during the AAC tournament, while she is better, she’s not 100% yet. Obviously, Kia is one tough lady. She is not going to wait a month to get back on the court with the NCAA tournament around the corner. I would expect that she is going to therapy a couple times a day. Along with practice, that’s a tough grind, but when you’re chasing a national championship, pain is a secondary consideration. I have said before of Kia, she plays basketball with the mindset of a hockey player.[/QUOTE

Thanks Oldude----good analysis. Most people think a FRACTURE is minor, it can be, but it can be a complete break. My watching Kia playing it was obvious she had some level of pain from the fracture---. If it was my job to advise her--she would not be playing now.
Rolling an ankle once too often can have life long consequences. I like Kia, no matter how tough this hockey girl is, she has all the failing of other humans and needs to rest. If she takes good care of this now--she'll be perfect next season. Danger can do the job, maybe not to Kia level, but good enough to win the NCAA's.. One other note on Kia--she has played almost steady / constant since before she came to UConn-loads of pounding/stress to the legs, feet, ankles not to mention muscle fatigue---she has earned her rest.

 

[BroadwayVa]

I agree with your first paragraph, but I think that the progress by Saniya and Crystal has been remarkably good and that Lou's work on defense is also improved. I watched KLS against USF specifically to see if she could stay in front of the player she was guarding--and, mostly, she did. Geno expresses skepticism about the Husky defending, too, but then adds that somehow "we still win." However, you're correct if you make the argument that whatever the shortcomings on defense, UConn has enough fire power to overcome them. Six more games . . .

I agree, Saniya and Danger are light years away from the start of the season--Danger has jump in level of play each game she played. Notice Geno is always calling her over in breaks and giving her 'in-game" guidance-I love it. KLS, Gabby and Napheesa, Kia have played too many games and too long and need to rest those bodies--yet the team has defense faults that need fixing--my guess Geno shall balance that during this period and rest as much as possible. I don't worry too much about KLS on defense, she'll do the job needed--if she shoot like he last game--who needs defense???

 

[JordyG]

That's fine for a team like USF, where Gabby dogged their best shooter (Laksa) into a miserable shooting game, but against teams with strong post players, Gabby is the Huskies best low post defender.

Well, we'll just have to see how well Z defends between the arc and the post won't we? We'll just have to see how good she is offensively. We'll just have to see how much Crystal Dangerfield's curve of improvement continues. The balance between 1, 2, and 3 will be how well the team is run and is it worth the hit you take on defense as opposed to defensive execution. Or if there is any hit at all. Geno generally likes to run 7 or 8 at teams. Taking into account the returning 4 starters then adding the experienced 2 transfers that leaves 2 off the bench between 3 returning sophomores and 4 incoming freshmen. In reality that will be Crystal Dangerfield and 1 from the other 6.

 

[oldude]

But your premise was that Z was also starting. The whole idea is that at 6'6" she would be guarding the low post so UConn is no longer at a height disadvantage in the post, and Collier continues to improve defensively to suplement her. The way Geno applied the matchups against Notre Dame for example I think was telling. He started off with Collier guarding Brianna Turner and put Gabby on Ogunbowale to basically take her out of the game by Gabby not letting her even catch the ball. Gabby's professional future is on the perimeter, and the best thing for her is to get that transition started as much as possible next season

Just think of next year's 2-3 zone with Kia and Gabby up top and Z at 6'6" in the middle with Collier and Samuelson's length on the wings to go along with the usual switching man defense.

Unless I missed something, this thread was focused on this year's team. As for next year with Z & Batouly in the lineup I certainly agree that Gabby would be the shut down defender you put on the other team's top scorer.