Jamie Carey won't be available for Sunday's game exhibition home-opener against the Phoenix Mercury (12 noon, Mohegan Sun Arena). The fourth-year guard suffered a strained Achilles' tendon during Connecticut's 68-57 loss at Minnesota Thursday, and there is no definitive timetable for her return.
"She’s going to be out for a little while," Sun coach Mike Thibault said. "Her Achilles’ (tendon) is strained, not torn. It’s swollen and sore, and we probably won’t put her back on the court until the majority of the soreness goes away. I have no timetable. Based on past history on that stuff, you’re looking at a week to 10 days probably."
The Sun training staff has experience with this type of injury. Nykesha Sales was hampered the past two seasons with Achilles' tendon problems.
Also, on first look, the Sun's loss to the Lynx lacked bright spots, but after re-watching the tape, Thibault wasn't so negative.
"I was pleased with our execution, I was pleased with our overall defense," he said. "Our rebounding wasn’t great (Minnesota outrebounded Connecticut, 36-25), but our defense was pretty good. I just didn’t like a few of the turnovers that we had, and we didn’t shoot the ball well — in the first half. I’m sitting there watching the tape, saying that we’re playing well and you look up and you still only got six points."
As for Sunday's game, the defending-champion Mercury will be without the majority of its regular team, including stars Diana Taurasi, Cappie Pondexter and Penny Taylor, who like fellow Aussie Erin Phillips, won't return to the WNBA until after the Olympic break.
"They’re missing everybody," Thibault said. "I think the only person in their top 10 that is here is (Jennifer) Derevjanik."
UConn fans will see one familiar face, though: Former Husky Willnett Crockett is playing on a training camp contract for Phoenix.
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