WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
BY LOU SOMOGYI
I
n 28 seasons at Notre Dame, head
coach Muffet McGraw has seen her
share of drama, but the last eight
months may have set a record in
the personnel department.
In April, out of the blue, two-time
All-American Jewell Loyd announced
she would forego her senior year to
enter the WNBA Draft.
In October, freshman point guard Ali
Patberg suffered a season-ending torn
ACL.
On Thanksgiving week, sophomore
forward Brianna Turner, voted the
preseason Atlantic Coast Conference
Player of the Year, incurred a right
shoulder injury in practice that initially
elicited outside speculation that she
would need season-ending surgery. It
was the same shoulder she injured last
Dec. 3 that sidelined her for two and a
half weeks before she was able to re-
turn while playing with a harness.
Dealing With
DRAMA
Despite Taya Reimer's departure
and Brianna Turner's injury, the
Irish got off to an 9-1 start that
had them ranked No. 3 nationally
Turner suffered a right shoulder injury in practice
during Thanksgiving week that sidelined her for six
games, heading into a Dec. 21 matchup versus St.
Joseph's in which she hoped to be ready to play.
PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND
