The Minnesota Lynx cruised to a 22-point victory over the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday despite being without the services of Seimone Augustus, who missed the game because of a sprained ankle.
Augustus injured her ankle in the second quarter of Sunday’s 32-point rout of the Phoenix Mercury. There was some initial fear about the severity of the injury, because coach Cheryl Reeve said it wasn’t a typical sprain. As we’ve documented before, when most people sprain their ankle, the ankle rolls outward. Augustus’ foot rolled inward when she came down on opposing player’s foot, which typically result in a more severe sprain because of the strain put on the ligaments. Sometimes this type of sprain results in the dreaded high-ankle sprain.
Both Augustus and Reeve had their fears quelled after the three-time All-Star underwent an MRI. The MRI confirmed the diagnosis of a sprain, but it did not reveal any significant damage, and Reeve was hesitant to speculate when Augustus may return to the lineup.
“It’s good news, that it’s nothing more than a sprain,” said Reeve. “Time-wise, it’s an indefinite situation. We’ll have to see how it goes. It’s one of those things.”
The Lynx are back in action against Indiana on Thursday, and then they travel to Tulsa for a Saturday showdown. After leaving Oklahoma, the Lynx will get five days off before returning home on June 19 to face San Antonio. Although we’ll likely get an update on her condition before Thursday’s game, it seems reasonable to suspect that the Lynx may hold Augustus out of the next two games so she can get some extra time to let the ankle heal before returning to the hardwood.
Dr. Silverman comments
Augustus suffered an unusual eversion sprain. When this occurs, the medial ligaments on the inside of the foot become stretched. A sprain in this direction is often more severe than an inversion sprain, but not always.
When an inversion sprain occurs, it’s important to take time off to let the injury heal. Bracing and early rehabilitation protocols show the best promise of return. If a person returns too quickly, the ligaments can heal incorrectly. Unstable ligaments lead to ankle instability, which can lead to the operating table if the problem is compounded.
Most eversion ankle sprains are mild, stable and resolve with rest. In higher energy injuries the problems that present are more complicated and the treatment is similarly challenging.
I wish her the best in her recovery, and Go Lynx!
Related source: Star Tribune
