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SALT LAKE CITY — With 2:21 left in the game Saturday against rival BYU, Gianna Kneepkens dropped her third 3-pointer of the night to give Utah a 24-point lead in a game the Utes controlled from the tipoff.
Less than a minute later, Kneepkens went for a step-back jump shot at the top of the key and suddenly dropped to the ground in an apparent non-contact injury to her right leg.
The junior guard knew instantly that something was seriously wrong as she sat there staring at her leg, more in shock as the reality of the moment sunk in. Immediately, an athletic trainer and head coach Lynne Roberts came to her aide as the trio talked on the court in front of the thousands of onlookers holding their collective breath.
Eventually, with the help of teammates holding her up, Kneepkens hobbled off the court on one leg. Her night and season were likely done.
Roberts hoped for good news after Utah's win over BYU, waiting for an X-ray to be conducted for an official diagnosis, but it was clear Kneepkens wasn't coming back anytime soon.
On Monday, Roberts made the news official: Gianna Kneepkens had suffered a season-ending injury.
"She tore and broke some bones in her foot, and so she's gonna have surgery," Roberts told media after practice. "She's out for the year, which is a blow, but she'll be able to get this year of eligibility back, so we get it for two more years; that's the silver lining. But, yeah, a blow to our program, and something that we've all taken the last 36 hours to kind of digest."
Kneepkens sat on the sidelines of the women's practice court Monday with a soft cast on her right foot and crutches by her side. Teammates periodically came to her side and offered words of encouragement, but her presence off the court was a big blow to Utah's hopes of going deeper in the NCAA Tournament this season.
The junior guard who averages 17.8 points per game this season will soon have surgery on her foot, but wants to remain an active participant with the team. But the reality of the moment is still setting in for the dynamic guard.
"Gianna is struggling," Roberts said. "If there's a kid that lives, breathes and sleeps basketball, it's her. But this is part of life; life can stink sometimes. This is going to be a process for her that she's gonna have to push through, but she's got a group of teammates that love her and coaches that love her, and she'll be all right. But it's still a little raw, and the fact that the season's over for her is — she's still working through that."
Replacing Kneepkens' production on the floor will be difficult to sustain, but Roberts believes her team has the depth to at least close the gap on her absence.
Issy Palmer, who has been sidelined with an injury, is the natural fit to step up into Kneepkens' role, but it will also take increased play from Maty Wilke, Lani White and Kennady McQueen, who scored 18 points on 4-of-6 shooting from 3-point range against BYU.
"Everybody's got to give a little more, and in their own different ways," Roberts said.
And though it's a big blow to Utah's pursuit of another NCAA Tournament run — Utah is No. 4 in the first NET ratings of the season released Monday — Roberts believes it's another opportunity to show what Utah can do this season.
"That's why we've been talking about our depth, and I believe in this team and everybody just giving a little bit more," Roberts said. "We're still capable, and we're kind of right back where we started about a year ago where no one really thought — everyone's gonna write us off again. But we thrive in that role, and we'll be fine; we'll be good."
Utah begins a two-game road trip this week, first with a road contest Thursday (5 p.m. MST, ESPN+) against undefeated Saint Joseph's before a neutral court setting Sunday (12 p.m. MST, ESPN) in Connecticut against No. 1-ranked South Carolina.
