The ASU women’s basketball team has more players hurt than players playing at 100 percent.
Seven of the 13 players on the Sun Devils’ roster are currently nursing injuries.
Some players sustained injuries in the past couple weeks, but have been able to play through the pain.
Redshirt senior forward Kali Bennett and senior forward Kimberly Brandon were injured in the Sun Devils’ loss against Stanford.
Brandon sprained an ankle, but looked like she was back to her usual self against Colorado.
Brandon scored eight points in the win over CU, but had a greater influence on the boards. She grabbed eight rebounds, including three clutch offensive boards.
Assistant coach Chris Mennig said Brandon’s rebounds made a huge impact.
“The offensive rebounds (were) timely ones,” Mennig said. “That was probably the biggest thing. She was able to shut down a couple of rallies that they had going. Just seeing your senior step up, that’s what it comes down to.”
Bennett has responded well after her back injury, averaging 9.6 points per game since the injury.
Anticipating returns
Other players like freshman forward Jada Blackwell and junior guard Micaela Pickens were recently hurt and are working to get back as soon as possible.
Blackwell did not play in the game against Colorado because she was injured in the game against Utah.
With Blackwell out, there were only three forwards active for the Colorado game. Redshirt junior Janae Fulcher was the only post player playing at full strength.
Fulcher said she and the other forwards are anxiously awaiting Blackwell’s return to the depleted frontcourt.
Pickens had a collision with another player last Saturday against Colorado.
Mennig did not know the extent of the injury, but they pulled her out of the game just as a precaution.
“They just told us that she was done for the night,” Mennig said. “Obviously we are going to try and give them as much rest as we can over the next couple of days to see if we can get her back. She at least knew what city she was in, so that helps.”
The other three ailing Sun Devils were injured very early this season and some are still recovering, like freshman guard Eliza Normen and junior forward Joy Burke.
Normen injured her quad and Burke sustained a serious head injury. Both players have redshirted this season to focus on healing.
Redshirt junior Haley Parsons seems to have recovered from her head injury earlier this season. She has participated in practices, but has not seen the court recently.
As one of the healthy players, senior Alex Earl said the team would not let injuries stop them from trying to reach their goals.
The players had Sunday off, and Monday was also a recovery day.
Earl said she knew her teammates were going to work to get healthy, especially with the season nearing its end.
Reach the reporter at ehubbard@asu.edu
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