Iowa junior guard Jaime Printy told head coach Lisa Bluder last night that she did not feel good about the injury she suffered late in the Hawkeyes' overtime win over Wisconsin.
Friday, that feeling was confirmed as the team's leading scorer has suffered a torn ACL, according to an MRI done on her knee.
This is the second injury to Printy's left ACL. She tore the same ligament as a sophomore at Linn-Mar High School.
"We are extremely disappointed to lose Jaime for the rest of the season," Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder said. "It's very unfortunate that she has to go through another ACL injury. Jaime is one of the elite players in our conference, and it is tough to see this type of injury happen to such a great individual.
"Jaime is a leader for us, both on and off the court. The statistics show what a great player she is, but she brings so much more to our team on the court. Jaime has a competitive spirit that other players feed off of, and we will miss that. But, I am confident that Jaime will continue to lead this team from the sidelines. She cares so much for her teammates and wants to see them succeed."
Printy's numbers speak for themselves. She leads the Hawkeyes in scoring at 17 points per game and ranks second in the Big Ten and 12th in the nation with an 89 percent shooting from the line. She also averages 4.2 assists and two steals per game.
"Tearing my ACL the second time is tough news to take," Printy said. "It feels like our team is really hitting its stride right now, and it is going to be really hard to watch the rest of the sesaon from the bench. But, I am ready to help the team any way I can. I am looking forward to watching my teammates play well."
Printy will have surgery within the next two weeks. The date has not yet been determined.
"Jaime works very hard every day to improve her skills," Bluder said. "I have no doubt that Jaime will attack her rehab with the same intensity. We are looking forward to getting her back on the court after she makes a full recovery."
The good news for Printy is that she will know what to expect the second time around, which may help her recover faster.
"After surgery, I am going to put all my focus on getting back to 100 percent," Printy said. "I am already looking forward to stepping back on the court and playing in front of the amazing Hawkeye fans at Carver-Hawkeye Arena."
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