UConn's Walking Wounded

[DEpup]

This is a big reason why you want a stacked team so there are options. People get hurt.

I really wish we had better depth more recently when KLS and Danger had their issues. I have to think they ended up playing more than they really should have which extended the injuries.

I feel like the staff are really using the stacked roster right now to really get folks healthy and take care of any issues immediately and not let them get worse.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Also Mir was on crutches last video I saw. She has some tendinitis I believe

You are correct. According to Coach Geno, "McLean has also been limited during workouts while dealing with tendinitis. Mir’s had some tendinitis that she’s had forever so she’s got to go at some pace,” Auriemma said.

 

[bluedevil]

Can someone put out a list of non injured players? Should be a short list.

 

[fan4eva]

The list of serious injuries that UConn women are dealing with seems pretty long.

Piath Gabriel- intestinal surgery, still recovering
Saylor Poffenbarger- stress fracture in vertebrae. Decided against surgery
Paige Bueckers- surgery on ankle, hasn't fully recovered
Nika Muhl-ankle injury incurred early in the NCAA tournament. Yet to fully recover
Caroline Ducharme- previous injuries include torn labrum, ACL tear
Azzi Fudd- sprained her foot and wore walking boot through April. Follows ACL and MCL tears in high school

Not sure if I've missed any...? Hoping all recover completely and quickly.

better to be recovering now rather than in March

 

[BBallF]

While repeat ACL injuries can occur, over the past 20 years sports medicine has gotten much better at preventing them. Advanced microsurgery has reduced post-surgical trauma. Improved rehabilitation and training procedures have accelerated recovery and dramatically limited recurring injuries.

Some progress but not enough. A study done 8 years ago showed that 30% of first time ACLR patients ( male and female but majority female in the control group) had a recurrent tear within 2 years of returning to athletic activity. Another study showed a recurrence rate in women at 6.5 times the normal rate. Another study showed that a woman is 3.5 times more likely to tear her ACL a first time while playing basketball than a man. There are several theories for this gender imbalance, anatomical, hormonal, neuromuscular etc but no definitive reason. It's still a nightmare for athletes in stop and go, sudden deceleration, jump stop sports like basketball. There is an emphasis now on training but until medicine gives us the "why" we won't be able to effectively give our girls playing sports the "here's how not".

My daughter did it 3 times, twice in basketball and once in lacrosse. I saw first hand the pain and struggles involved in difficult and tedious rehab processes. Any player who comes back from that injury( it's usually a 2 year window to approach pre-injury status) has my attention and respect.

I will be rooting my you know what off for Azzi and Caroline this year. That kind of trial and tribulation creates character and fearlessness, and although I have only seen videos, highlights and clips, I think they both have it.

As for our other walking wounded, I expect they will all grow from their own experiences. Adversity does one of two things. You either give in to it and it overcomes you or you fight and overcome it. The latter is the usual UCONN way, I would politely venture to say.

 

[oldude]

Some progress but not enough. A study done 8 years ago showed that 30% of first time ACLR patients ( male and female but majority female in the control group) had a recurrent tear within 2 years of returning to athletic activity. Another study showed a recurrence rate in women at 6.5 times the normal rate. Another study showed that a woman is 3.5 times more likely to tear her ACL a first time while playing basketball than a man. There are several theories for this gender imbalance, anatomical, hormonal, neuromuscular etc but no definitive reason. It's still a nightmare for athletes in stop and go, sudden deceleration, jump stop sports like basketball. There is an emphasis now on training but until medicine gives us the "why" we won't be able to effectively give our girls playing sports the "here's how not".

My daughter did it 3 times, twice in basketball and once in lacrosse. I saw first hand the pain and struggles involved in difficult and tedious rehab processes. Any player who comes back from that injury( it's usually a 2 year window to approach pre-injury status) has my attention and respect.

I will be rooting my you know what off for Azzi and Caroline this year. That kind of trial and tribulation creates character and fearlessness, and although I have only seen videos, highlights and clips, I think they both have it.

As for our other walking wounded, I expect they will all grow from their own experiences. Adversity does one of two things. You either give in to it and it overcomes you or you fight and overcome it. The latter is the usual UCONN way, I would politely venture to say.

I am familiar with the 2013 study. Many of the advancements in Sports Science on preventing ACL injuries have occurred just in the past 5 years or so.

There is most certainly still room for improvement. But back in the Dark Ages when I played ball, a torn ACL was a career ending injury.

 

[BBallF]

I am familiar with the 2013 study. Many of the advancements in Sports Science on preventing ACL injuries have occurred just in the past 5 years or so.

There is most certainly still room for improvement. But back in the Dark Ages when I played ball, a torn ACL was a career ending injury.

Bernard King come to mind? It sounds like you are my generation. I personally saw many very talented players have their college careers taken away from them due to that injury including my backcourt mate in high school who was D1 bound.

I hate the gender divide in it and I am convinced that someone, somewhere will figure it out and invent something that will greatly reduce the incidence. Preventative training only goes so far. I did it with my daughter so I know because I was always afraid of it for her. Players like Sue Bird are the exception, not the rule, but the whole fields of training, physical therapy and rehabilitation are greatly advanced as you note. This is a wide open topic for discussion but knowing about it first hand makes me even more committed as a UCONN WCBB fan (as if that is even possible!) when you have an Azzi or a Caroline.

It's probably why Evina was my favorite player last year. She hid it very well but that kid was playing through pain and fatigue a lot. Let's see if the 2 year rule works for her. I say it does. N'est pas?