UNC Basketball: Kayla McPherson to miss start of regular season

The UNC women’s basketball program received some bad news, as redshirt freshman guard Kayla McPherson will be sidelined to start the regular season. 

Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait a bit longer for Kayla McPherson’s official debut with the UNC women’s basketball program.

This week in practice, McPherson suffered what the program is calling a lower-body injury that will force her to have surgery this week. Coach Courtney Banghart said that the redshirt freshman is expected to miss at least the nonconference portion of the team’s upcoming schedule.

The injury bug hasn’t been kind to McPherson, as she suffered a knee injury in high school that made her miss her entire freshman season. Although the injuries are non-related, it’s still a concern for the Tar Heels, as she’s expected to play a pivotal role in the team’s rotation at some point this season.

Here’s what Banghart had to say regarding the injury:

"“We’re all devastated for Kayla. She was so ready to go this season and was prepared to be a big part of our rotation. We will fill her void collectively and we know that she will attack this rehabilitation process the same way she has in the past. We look forward to having her back on the court as soon as she’s cleared.”"

Even though she won’t be on the court for the foreseeable future, McPherson’s positivity and energy are something that will still help this year’s team while she’s sidelined. When the time is right, she’ll be able to return, as she’ll make her much-anticipated debut for North Carolina.

The UNC women’s basketball program will tip off its season on November 9, as they’ll host Jackson State in Chapel Hill. Hopefully, it won’t be long before we see McPherson back on the court.

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