BATON ROUGE — Having missed all 12 games and plagued by injures this season, Lady Tiger forward DeTrina White will take her redshirt year this season and return to complete her eligibility at LSU in 2002-03.
This year, White missed most of preseason drills because of a residual injury to her back from last season. After practicing for only a week, she was then diagnosed with a stress fracture in her foot and surgery was done in early December to insert a pin. Last week, in her first day back at practice after the foot injury, she suffered a concussion that required stitches along her eyebrow after colliding with another player.
“This is something that has been in the back of her mind and in the back of our minds for most of the season,” said LSU head coach Sue Gunter. “As badly as we could use her on the floor this year, it would be unrealistic for us to expect her to be able to start for at least another week even if she was totally healthy right now.
“It would not make a lot of sense for us to have her play this year for just the last third of the season when we could have her back at full strength for all of next year,” Gunter continued. “After discussing the options with her and her family, we believe it is in her best interest to take the redshirt year and return for her final season next year.”
A preseason member of the Naismith Collegiate Player of the Year watch list, White was the first player in LSU history to be named national freshman of the year, earning the Women?s Basketball News Service honor in 1999. Also a two-time All-Southeastern Conference selection, she has averaged 11.8 points and 8.4 rebounds a game with 25 double-doubles in three seasons with the Lady Tigers.
The senior from Lafayette missed 11 games during her junior year with a misaligned vertebrate in her back, but returned to lead the team in rebounding and field goal percentage.
White becomes the third Lady Tiger player out for the remainder of the season due to injury after losing a pair of players with torn anterior cruciate ligaments. Freshman Wendlyn Jones was lost in preseason drills while starting point guard Kisha James went down in December. James underwent reconstructive knee surgery on Monday.
The Lady Tigers continue SEC action this Thursday when they host the nationally ranked Florida Lady Gators in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center at 7 p.m.