For Women in Sports, A.C.L. Injuries Take Toll

Now, she can only watch on heels! I was dumbfounded to see an athlete on the injured list – left knee – at the court side on HIGH HEELS. Patrick (Pat) Riley was a sleek dresser but he was a coach and his knees were injured .. so what’s this all about? Wanting to look good for the camera? Risking your knee? Not worth it, girl!

PHILADELPHIA — This is not the homecoming that Caroline Doty wanted, surgical scars having formed a vague T on her left knee, her contribution to Connecticut this season limited to charting plays from the bench instead of leading the team at point guard.

Three times Doty has torn the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee, an injury that has afflicted sports like basketball and soccer, where women are up to five times more likely than men to have their careers interrupted for reasons that are believed to be anatomical, biomechanical and hormonal.

“I’m hanging in there, but it’s tough watching,” said Doty, 21, a junior at UConn and former basketball and soccer star at Germantown Academy in Fort Washington, Pa.

On Sunday, UConn (34-1) will face its Big East rival Georgetown (24-10) for the third time this season in the semifinals of the Philadelphia Region. A year ago, Doty was a starter as the Huskies won a second consecutive N.C.A.A. title. Now, she can only watch.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.