2 min read • May 31, 2022
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Just as the Connecticut Sun finally appeared to be at the precipice of finally getting the proverbial monkey off their back and hoisting the WNBA championship trophy, veteran point guard Jasmine Thomas went down holding her right knee.
The 32-year-old connective tissue of the Sun, who have advanced to the semifinals or further in three straight years and lost to the eventual champion in two of those three, will miss the remainder of this season after tearing her right ACL on May 22.
Thomas had only missed seven total games in her 12-year career, and none because of injuries, but will now take the long and arduous journey to return to the court next season in her age-33 season.
The 2017 all-star joins the likes of Kia Nurse, Angel McCoughtry, and Skylar-Diggins Smith as recent WNBA stars to suffer a torn ACL, an injury that, according to the ProBasketballDocs, women suffer at an inequitable rate compared to men because of physiological differences.
According to a multitude of studies, women suffer this catastrophic knee injury between two to eight times more often than their male counterparts, such as Jamal Murray, Kawhi Leonard, and Klay Thomas, although the specific reason for this is still under debate in the medical community.
That rate, according to a 2021 study by Stanford Medicine, is multiplied by style of play like that of Thomas’ - active drivers and cutters, mechanics that put more stress on the ACL.
Luckily, the return-to-play rate is similar across the board for men, women, and quick-twitch cutters, although Thomas’ age and already-begun decline in production add more obstacles to that challenge.
The 2011 first-round pick was averaging 7.5 points, three assists, and 2.5 rebounds in four games. Her loss will be felt in full during the playoffs, during which she has averaged 13.3 points, 4.7 assists, and 1.1 steals on 34.3 minutes in 18 career games for the Sun.
Connecticut, 6-2, is currently listed as the second-leading favorites to win the WNBA championship at +460, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
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