June 1, 2023
WNBA injury roundup: Gardner and Robinson underwent surgery
By Aya Abdeen
Plus, Diamond Miller is "sidelined indefinitely" with a right ankle sprain
Chicago Sky head coach and general manager James Wade announced on Thursday morning that Rebekah Gardner, a guard-forward for the Chicago Sky, underwent surgery to “fix something broken in her foot.”
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According to a report by Annie Costabile of the Chicago Sun-Times, Gardner and Isabelle Harrison, who is out indefinitely with a knee injury, have no timetables to return. Gardner suffered a foot injury and was helped off the court during the Sky’s loss to the Washington Mystics on May 26.
Gardner, a UCLA grad, joined the Chicago Sky as an undrafted free agent ahead of the 2022 WNBA season and had made a significant impact on both ends for the team. She was named to the 2022 All-WNBA and AP All-WNBA Rookie Teams after averaging 8.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 21.7 minutes per game. This season, Gardner played in three games for Chicago and averaged 7.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game.
Chicago is also without Ruthy Hebard, who is on maternity leave, and is set to lose Kristine Anigwe as she is set to play in the Eurobasket tournament for Great Britain.
The Atlanta Dream also announced that guard Danielle Robinson underwent arthroscopic surgery on her left knee on Wednesday with Dr. Sameh Labib, MD. The team anticipates her return “prior to the WNBA All-Star break.”
Robinson was acquired by the Dream in a trade with the Indiana Fever this past offseason. She sustained a left knee injury in the second quarter of the Dream’s loss to the Dallas Wings on May 20. Last season, Robinson played in 31 games and averaged 7.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game for Indiana.
According to Mitchell Hansen of the Winsidr, rookie Diamond Miller is listed as “sidelined indefinitely” with a right ankle sprain ahead of the Minnesota Lynx’s Thursday matchup with the Connecticut Sun. She sustained the injury in the second quarter of Tuesday’s game against the Dallas Wings. Miller, the second overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft out of Maryland, averages 10.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 20.8 minutes per game for Minnesota.
Written by Aya Abdeen
Aya Abdeen is a student in sports journalism at Arizona State University and has been a contributing writer for The Next since December 2022. She is also a sports reporter for the Sun Devils’ women’s basketball team for The State Press. Her work has also appeared on AZPreps365.
