UNCASVILLE, Conn. (June 1, 2015) – The Connecticut Sun announced today that veteran forward Kelsey Griffin is out for the season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on her left hip on Friday.
The operation, which resulted in a micro-fracture procedure, was performed at the Constitution Surgical Center in Waterford by team physician Ammar Anbari. The recovery time is at least three months.
“I’m disappointed, obviously,” Griffin said Monday. “I was really excited about the season and the direction the group was headed. But if I’ve learned one thing from my other surgery (on her ankle in college), it’s that the time off gives you perspective. It will make me more appreciative of the game, and I truly believe I will come back stronger, hungrier and better than ever.”
Griffin played 13 minutes in the preseason opener against the Indiana Fever at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, collecting eight points and five rebounds with two made threes.
“Kelsey is an underrated player in this league, but I clearly know her value to this team and all the things she brings,” coach Anne Donovan said. “It’s all the things that don’t show up in the stat sheet, and that makes her a big loss for us.”
Acquired in a draft day trade with the Minnesota Lynx, Griffin was selected with the No. 3 overall pick out of Nebraska in 2010. A former Big 12 Player of the Year, Griffin appeared in 164 games over the past five seasons for the Sun, amassing 801 points and 683 rebounds.
“We are saddened for Kelsey and our fans to hear this news,” Connecticut Sun Vice President and General Manager Chris Sienko said. “But having this surgery now will put her in a great place for the future in terms of the longevity of her career.”