Sykes starts in season debut against Cornell after recovering from torn ACL, meniscus
Sam Maller | Staff Photographer
Brittney Sykes' long-awaited return from her torn ACL and meniscus appears to be over, as she warmed up on the Carrier Dome floor and tweeted Sunday afternoon that she is back.
UPDATED: Sunday, Dec. 28, 6:30 p.m.
Syracuse guard Brittney Sykes started in the No. 22 Orange’s (8-3) game against Cornell in the Carrier Dome at 6 p.m. Sunday, nine months after tearing her ACL and meniscus in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
The junior had tweeted at 4:12 p.m. that she’d be “back again” and then warmed up on the Carrier Dome floor in full uniform with a brace covering her right knee.
Sykes returned to full-contact practice prior to hosting North Carolina Central on Dec. 14. SU head coach Quentin Hillsman has said all season that he hoped to get her back before conference play started on Jan. 4, and had been hinting she was “close” to a return since the season opener on Nov. 16.
The junior guard was Syracuse’s leading scorer in 2013-2014, averaging 16.6 points per game. She was a first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection, and earned a spot on this year’s Naismith Award watch list despite having missed the Orange’s first seven games at that point.
Published on December 28, 2014 at 5:21 pm
Contact Sam: sblum@syr.edu | @SamBlum3
