Lili Thompson out for season with torn ACL

[Plebe]

 

[triaddukefan]

Hate for any player to have their season end with an injury..... even more when its a senior/grad student

 

[MSGRET]

Feel bad for her and ND. I now believe that the ACC will be won by Louisville.

 

[eebmg]

That is just terrible.




More background on the situation before this announcement at

With Lili Thompson out, Notre Dame's depth becomes a sore point

 

[Orangutan]

 

[PAHuskeyFan]

Terrible news for ND...

If MM can pull off the Conf Title and a high seed in the NCAA tournament it will likely be one of her best coaching jobs ever...perhaps Coach of the Year worthy.

 

[Orangutan]

So that's 4 ACLs
AND Westbeld missed training camp because of an ankle surgery that mysteriously would not heal
AND Shepard has been playing on sprained ankle recently
AND Jackie Young broke her nose and has been playing with a mask on

If I were Marina or Arike, I'd barricade myself in a padded room between games.

 

[Plebe]

 

[nwhoopfan]

She's played in 14 games this year, she won't be eligible for a RS unless she petitions the NCAA for another year of eligibility.

 

[Plebe]

So that's 4 ACLs
AND Westbeld missed training camp because of an ankle surgery that mysteriously would not heal
AND Shepard has been playing on sprained ankle recently
AND Jackie Young broke her nose and has been playing with a mask on

If I were Marina or Arike, I'd barricade myself in a padded room between games.

This is really unbelievable, what's happened to Notre Dame this season with all the injuries. And my heart breaks for Lili Thompson, an excellent player who was having a great final year of her college career, now suddenly cut short.

Lili Thompson wasn't a starter, but she was first off the bench, getting lots of minutes as a key cog in what was already a short rotation. I'm struggling to even imagine how ND will fare against elite opponents with only 2 scholarship players coming off the bench: Nelson and Patterson.

 

[Plebe]

She's played in 14 games this year, she won't be eligible for a RS unless she petitions the NCAA for another year of eligibility.

She'd have to petition them anyway because she's already up against her 5-year window. But does the NCAA ever grant a waiver to a player who has played more than 30% of the season?

 

[Orangutan]

I'm struggling to even imagine how ND will fare against elite opponents with only 2 scholarship players coming off the bench: Nelson and Patterson.

I assume walk-on Kaitlin Cole will get real (non-garbage time) minutes now. They can try Westbeld and Patterson at 3 in some lineups to give the guards the occasional break but I don't see how you can make it to the end of the season playing only three guards.

Defending now becomes extremely tricky as ND cannot afford any foul trouble. On top of that, Thompson was ND's best defensive guard.

 

[iri10]

Absolutely horrendous luck for the Domers this year. Don't wish that sort of injury sheet on any team. Hope Lili recovers as well as is possible.

 

[Dillon77]

Who says they're not?
And to think that one of the scholarship subs left -- Koko Nelson -- red-shirted a year due to that shoulder injury.

Geesh, this could be a showing of either the Dirty Dozen (up to now) or Magnificent Seven (from here on in). In any case, next up: Miami Hurricanes. Go Irish!

 

[bballnut90]

Wow....Notre Dame has just been decimated with injuries and defections from major contributors over the last 4 years:
2014-lose Achonwa in the regional final after starting 35-0
2015-Turner injured for part of season, Reimer leaves team and comes back
2016-Reimer injured and quits team, Turner injured again during season, Loyd decides to go pro a season early
2017-Turner tears ACL, Boley transfers
2018-4 scholarship players sidelined for most of season. Other players with injury issues as noted above.

Really tough break for Lili and Notre Dame. I was hoping (and still am) for a rematch with UCONN in the tournament to see how the teams matchup after the dramatic first meeting.

Despite all of this, I still think Notre Dame takes the ACC crown. They still have Young, Mabrey, Arike and Shepard plus a great coach on the sideline. Gotta feel for Thompson though. Hope she recovers quickly.

 

[oldude]

While ACL injuries are unfortunately all too common in WBB, I've never seen anything like what's happened at ND this season. It's like a plague of knee injuries in South Bend has taken out a 3rd of the basketball team. Feel terrible for the injured players, but I still wouldn't count out ND just yet. MM and the Irish will circle the wagons and figure out a way to stay competitive.

 

[Orangutan]

Wow....Notre Dame has just been decimated with injuries and defections from major contributors over the last 4 years:
2014-lose Achonwa in the regional final after starting 35-0
2015-Turner injured for part of season, Reimer leaves team and comes back
2016-Reimer injured and quits team, Turner injured again during season, Loyd decides to go pro a season early
2017-Turner tears ACL, Boley transfers
2018-4 scholarship players sidelined for most of season. Other players with injury issues as noted above.

You can also throw in Ali Patberg's situation (ACL tear, bone spurs causing longer than normal recovery, walking pneumonia shortly after her knee got better, transfer). And Kristina Nelson's redshirt in 14-15 due to shoulder surgeries.

 

[MilfordHusky]

N.D. can't catch a break this year. Best wishes to Lili!

I thought the NCAA's approval of Shephard's waiver was a sham, but it was necessary to keep them an elite team. I hope they have enough bodies to put on the floor by season's end.

 

[hoophuskee]

Terrible terrible terrible terrible news. Awful. Awful. I feel terrible for her and ND. Unreal season for ND.

 

[BigBird]

She's played in 14 games this year, she won't be eligible for a RS unless she petitions the NCAA for another year of eligibility.

I really feel bad for her. She didn’t deserve this; nobody deserves this. It’s just a rotten deal. Best wishes to her for a full recovery.

 

[huskeynut]

Friend or foe, absolutely hate to hear news like this. Best to Lili in her recovery/ rehab and future endeavors.

 

[stamfordhusky]

. But does the NCAA ever grant a waiver to a player who has played more than 30% of the season?

No. Sadly her college career is over.

 

[DallasBUFan]

I truly feel bad for the team and Muffett. The worst luck!

 

[augustaTC]

There, but for the grace of God, goes any team.

 

[JordyG]

This just stinks. It's just wrong. I feel for this young woman. Now her college career is over. Man, someone has an ND doll with a thousand pins in it. No player, no team, no coach deserves this. The players on the team have to be looking at each other saying "Who's next?" If ND makes the E8 this year it is a major achievement. I wouldn't put it past them, and I'm rooting hard for them to pull it together.