| | PHILADELPHIA -- Tennessee's Kristen Clement sprained her
right ankle and did not start the NCAA championship game against
Connecticut on Sunday night.
The injury happened during a shootaround Sunday morning at the
First Union Center, the site of the game. Tennessee spokeswoman
Debby Jennings said Clement rolled the ankle, but did not know
exactly how it happened.
Clement, one of the Lady Vols' emotional leaders, entered the
arena on crutches and walked onto the court with an obvious limp.
X-rays showed no broken bones, and Clement underwent treatment
before the game, said Dr. William T. Youmans, the team's orthopedic
surgeon.
Clement's absence would severely hinder the Lady Vols, seeking
their seventh national title and fourth in five years. Clement's
job was to guard Sue Bird, UConn's dangerous point guard. Senior
Kyra Elzy, an excellent defensive player, started in place of
Clement.
Clement, nicknamed "Ace," stood beneath the basket during
presume warmups, still wearing earrings. She shouted encouragement
to teammates while bobbing her head to the tunes of the UConn pep
band. Moments before the tip, Clement stood in the middle of a
circle of teammates while they joined hands, chanted and bobbed
back and forth.
Tennessee trainer Jenny Moshak worked quickly last week when
national player of the year Tamika Catchings sprained her right
ankle in the first half of the Mideast Regional final against Texas
Tech.
Catchings missed only about seven minutes of the game and
finished with 16 rebounds as Tennessee won 57-44.
Clement, from the Philadelphia suburb of Broomall, Pa., is averaging
5.6 points and a team-high 3.5 assists.
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