Well I have some good news and bad news regarding a few UConn athletes.
The bad news is that women’s basketball player Mel Thomas has been lost for the season with a torn ACL and torn lateral meniscus. Thomas suffered the injury with 1:52 left in last night’s win over the Syracuse Orange. Unfortunately for her, the injury will end her UConn career.
She is the second UConn starter to suffer a torn ACL this season.
The good news is that football player Donald Thomas was asked to participate in the East-West Shrine game that’s being held at the University of Houston’s Robertson Stadium on Saturday night. The game starts at 7 PM and is being broadcast nationally on ESPN2. Thomas will play for the East squad and will be wearing #74.
It’s such a shame for Mel, her family and the UConn women’s program. I really feel for her having gone through this. She’s done a lot for this program and worked so hard to get where she is now. Good luck to you in your rehab Mel.
I feel really bad for Mel I thought with her walking on it last night it might have been a good sign but it wasn’t to be. Without Kalana and her that team is really going to need to buck up. The talent is there it just means more people are going to get more minutes. They need Charde to get her head in the game and be Charde Houston now more than ever.
Having been through a torn ACL (2x) myself and seeing her walk on it last night, albeit with a limp, I thought the same thing as you. I was hoping it might have just been a strain or a sprain.
And yes Charde is going to need to step it up a notch, Meghan Gardler is going to have to bring her game to a new level, the level she showed when she came off the bench to score 14 points.
We all know Mel will be right there giving everything she can to the team without being on the court.
When I saw the big picture of Mel this morning in the Courant, hands on knees, hunched over and in undescribable pain as her coach watched helplessly from the sideline, well, I was almost reduced to tears. She is our floor leader, and she will be missed so very much. Thanks Ian.
Mel will have surgery Friday morning at 645a at UConn Health Center in Farmington.