Lynx point guard Danielle Robinson suffered a gruesome season-ending injury on Aug. 9.
On tape, it might look like just another sprained ankle. But it was far, far worse. It was an injury that kept her from putting weight on her left ankle for three months.
Robinson described the injury at Monday’s Lynx practice and well, it’s kind of graphic.
“Basically, I tore both of my ligaments,” Robinson said. “The front one and the back one tore off. It chipped a little bit of my bone off. Basically, it was like ankle reconstruction. They came in and put two pints in it and a suture across the front to hold it all together.”
Robinson spent all offseason in Minneapolis, something that was her choice, but she said that she never really even had to give it a second thought. Plus, it was a chance for her to impress the coaching staff and get closer to Cheryl Reeve.
“Even if I was hurt and I couldn’t do everything, I was going to show them that this is what I want us to do and they can trust me with the reins,” Robinson said.
Robinson will be the team’s starting point guard with Lindsay Whalen retired. This is her team, and that should excite Lynx fans. This team is going to be a faster-paced unit with Robinson leading the way.
Something else to keep an eye on is how the team utilizes Odyssey Sims, who the team traded for last month. We will likely see Sims at more of the two, running alongside Robinson.
“Danielle is very crafty, and she’s going to be fun to play with this season just because she moves great without the ball, she pushes the ball, she knows how to stop and start, and that’s very important,” Sims said. “I’m learning from her with it being her eighth year in the league and this being my sixth.”
The Rookie
Monday marked the second practice for No. 6 overall pick Napheesa Collier.
Collier will get plenty of playing time with the Lynx this season and the majority of that has to do with the fact that Collier just plays the game the right way, something we saw the coaching staff rave over in the draft process.
“Naturally plays the game simple,” Reeve said. “She’ll cut when she’s supposed to cut. She’ll take a shot when she’s supposed to take a shot. She’ll be where she’s supposed to be defensively, so I think that contribution can happen anywhere any time. The difficulty will just be with the speed of the game, the physicality of the game that she’ll have to adjust to. . . I think for her she’s a more slighter build and she’ll have to be stronger at what she does. I think overall her game translates right away because he’s just a really good basketball player.
Collier is a player to watch. She might not blow you away with one skillset but collectively is what makes her so good.
Quick Hits
- It sounds like there’s going to be a training camp roster battle between Cierra Dillard and Kenisha Bell.
- Speaking of Bell, she looks impressive just from the little bit of practice we’re able to watch.
- Rookie Jessica Shepard hit some 3-pointers in a scrimmage. If she can be an effective stretch 4, that’d be huge for this team. Although, after practice, her shot changed a bit when she was taking part in a 3-point drill. This is common for some players. Gameplay vs. practice play can be different.
- Sims moves her feet very fast defensively. She could be an asset to this team when it comes to disrupting passing lanes.
- Karima Christmas-Kelly was playing in a lineup with Damiris Dantas and Sylvia Fowles. That’s one big lineup.