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Purdue coach Sharon Versyp announced Friday that Karissa McLaughlin would be out for the remainder of the season with a nagging ankle injury.
Over the summer, McLaughlin had offseason ankle surgery and was set to be sidelined for the entire year. She then returned to action in Purdue’s first Big Ten win over the season against Penn State on December 20th. This came as a surprise to many as she was supposed to be out for the season as mentioned before.
She was not able to get back into her previous form as she posted a line of just 7.6 points and 1.7 assists on only 35% shooting from the field and 28% from behind the three point line.
It begs the question on if she came back too fast, which would appear to be a yes at this point in time. It is tough for players, especially of her caliber, to be forced out with an injury and although this is just speculation, could have been the reason for her short recovery time.
This situation makes McLaughlin’s future with Purdue very unclear. She could return next year thanks to the NCAA granting an extra year of eligibility for winter sport athletes. She has the talent to throw her name in the WNBA Draft or could transfer elsewhere for a fresh start with Sharon Versyp seemingly on her way out.
Sharon Versyp: Karissa McLaughlin (ankle) won't play the rest of the season.
— mike carmin (@carmin_jc) February 5, 2021