What Happened to Donovan Clingan? Is It Another Misery for UConn Star?

Published 12/21/2023, 12:32 AM EST

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The UConn men’s basketball team is currently facing a tough situation with multiple players injured. This year, the male Huskies have been plagued with injuries ranging from Cam Spencer to Donovan Clingan. Freshman Stephon Castle will also miss several games due to a knee injury, as confirmed by the team’s coach, Dan Hurley. During the Lawrence game, Spencer injured his right foot early in the first half, followed by hurting his left foot and right big toe. In late September, Clingan, the standout center at UConn, suffered an injury during a workout.

Although Clingan returned to support the Huskies in the 2023–24 NCAA tournament, the injury he suffered now is his third major injury in the current NCAA season, and it is currently unknown how long he will be sidelined.

The unexpected fall of Donvan Clingan

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Donovan Clingan, the leading scorer for the UConn men’s basketball team in the second half, was the standout player during Wednesday night’s game at Prudential Center. He dominated the paint and controlled the game. However, his performance took a turn for the worse less than three and a half minutes into the second half.

Clingan injured his right ankle and had to leave the court after a foul from Seton Hall’s Jaden Bediako. He was in pain as he dropped to the ground and had to be helped off by trainer James Doran. Clingan attempted to return to the game but was unable to finish it.

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Hurley stated that starting center Donovan Clingan departed the game with a sprained right ankle. Therefore, the Huskies had to play the last 16:33 without him. Along with seven rebounds, the sophomore scored 14 points. He left the field to use the locker room, came back to the bench, and did not play again. At present, his status is unknown.

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UConn’s crushing defeat

Unfortunately, UConn suffered a devastating loss, with Seton Hall’s Kadary Richmond scoring 23 points and making eight steals, leading to a 75-60 victory for the Pirates. This was Huskies’ worst defeat since January 4, 2020, when they lost to South Florida by the same score.

Richmond has now solidified his reputation as a formidable opponent for the Huskies, as he had previously scored a career-high 27 points in an overtime victory over UConn two years ago. Seton Hall’s 15-2 run in the first half of Wednesday’s game gave them a 34-29 lead at halftime, thanks to Richmond’s impressive performance.

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The Huskies struggled with their shooting in the first half, missing eight of their eleven 3-point attempts and falling behind. Clingan was a standout player, scoring eight points and grabbing five rebounds, while Newton made a few early 3-pointers. However, apart from them, no other Husky was able to make a significant impact.

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Written by:

Nima Murugan

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“Basketball isn’t an act of jumping jacks, it’s a sport mirroring life through assists and rebounds”. Before becoming an NBA writer at EssentiallySports, I was drawn to the world of basketball when 'The Chosen One' first started locking horns with 'His Airness' over the GOAT debate. Some discourses shape your imagination and rightly so.
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Edited by:

Bilal Handoo