An MRI confirmed the worst for senior Brittany Woodard on Wednesday. The second-leading scorer on the women’s basketball team tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), sprained her medial collateral ligament (MCL) and bruised a bone in her leg after falling awkwardly during Cal Poly’s game against Pacific on Saturday.
Woodard said that she was considering petitioning the NCAA for a medical redshirt that could extend her Cal Poly career, but she wasn’t sure if she could bounce back physically and mentally to play again. Prior to coming to Cal Poly in 2010, Woodard played two seasons for Nevada, including her freshman year which was cut short by an ACL tear on her opposite knee.
“I knew right away that something bad happened because I know what the pain is like,” Woodard said.
She still hopes to be on the sidelines for the remainder of the season to help her teammates.
“It’s a really tough time right now just to walk into Mott Gym because it just brings back memories and I just want to do things that I can’t physically do anymore,” she said. “But I was chosen captain for a reason and if I can’t be on the court, there are other things I can do like being supportive.”
She was at practice on Thursday morning for the first time since injuring her knee and went through the scouting report on UC Santa Barbara, which Cal Poly faces on Saturday in Mott Gym at 4 p.m.
Woodard is waiting to hear back from Cal Poly’s graduate business program where she applied last month. If she is accepted, Woodard would entertain the possibility of being a graduate assistant next season.
Woodard said she will see the actual MRI results on Friday and then she’ll know more about the recovery process including when her surgery will be.
The injury comes after Woodard worked her way to becoming a main contributor to the Mustangs this season, averaging 10.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.
With Woodard, the Mustangs are 9-6 overall and 3-1 in the Big West this season.