University of South Carolin head coach and Hall of Famer Dawn Staley has expressed no interest in coaching in the WNBA, but an injury in last night’s Indiana Fever-Minnesota Lynx game prompted her to react immediately. As the Fever fell to the Lynx, they also lost two key players to injury with the playoffs right around the corner. Staley’s reaction came as she shares a special connection with one of the Fever players who had to be carried off the court due to her injury.
Fever guard Tyasha Harris went down with an injury in the second half against the Minnesota Lynx in the Fever’s final game of the season, having serious implications for the Fever, who cannot afford to lose anyone from their active roster as the playoffs approach. Staley wasted no time in sending out support for Harris, who has played four seasons under her during her time at USC.
“Praying you, @TyHarris_52 ! Lord cover Ty right now!,” Staley posted on X.
Harris’ injury happened late in the third quarter. With around 3:28 left in the third quarter, Harris received the ball from teammate Sophie Cunningham. As she drove inside the paint from the right to attempt a layup, she was seen colliding with Minnesota’s Nia Brodie. Harris went down immediately, landing awkwardly on her left ankle.
Harris was then immediately surrounded by teammates and coaching staff and was later carried off the court. Harris was the second Fever player to exit the game. Earlier, in the second quarter, Aliyah Boston also went down with a lower leg injury. Boston did not return during the second half of the game.
Harris could only play for 11 minutes in the 86-66 loss for the Fever, scoring four points and adding two assists. Dawn Staley, who has seen Harris perform for the Gamecocks, was rightfully worried for her former guard.
In her very first year under Dawn Staley, Harris was part of the Gamecocks team that won the 2016–17 NCAA Division I women’s basketball national championship. Over the next three years, Harris’ scoring only improved, averaging 12 points per game in her final season in 2019. In her senior year, Harris was even awarded the Dawn Staley Award for being the “nation’s best guard in NCAA Division I women’s basketball”. It is no wonder Harris holds a special place in Staley’s heart.
Concerns now mount for the Fever as Harris has been a key rotational player for them this season, providing bench strength to Caitlin Clark. Coach Stephanie White has often turned to Harris this season when Clark has been sidelined due to injuries or needs to be rested during games, as Harris averages 13.7 minutes per game this season while contributing 4.1 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game.
Fans will certainly hope to avoid a repeat of last season, when Harris was ruled out for the entire season after playing just five games due to a patellar injury.
Harris’s and Boston’s injuries marked a troubled game for Indiana. Their main offensive players throughout the season, Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell, struggled to get on the board, with Clark scoring only two points in the entire game. She could only convert one of her 12 shots from the field, while missing all of her seven shots from beyond the arc.
Kelsey Mitchell struggled to get on the board as well, logging a team-high 10 points.
Indiana will now have to wait for the results of other matchups to see who their opponents will be in the first round of the playoffs. While the severity of Harris’s and Boston’s injuries remains unclear, their potential absence adds to Stephanie White’s concerns as the Fever pursue their first title since 2012.