Briggs became the third Terp this season to have their campaign cut short by a knee injury.
Maryland women’s basketball guard Lavender Briggs will miss the remainder of the 2023-24 season after suffering a knee injury in Wednesday’s game against Rutgers, it was announced by the team on Friday.
Briggs played a crucial role for the Terps this season, starting 10 games and coming off the bench in 11 more. She averaged 8.7 points and five rebounds per game while playing an average of 27.1 minutes per contest.
After an injury absence of more than a month earlier in the season, Briggs returned to the court with a bang. In her first game back against Nebraska on New Year’s Eve, she racked up 25 points on 11-for-17 shooting.
With teammates Emma Chardon and Riley Nelson also sidelined earlier in the season due to torn anterior cruciate ligaments, the team’s depth issues became evident. This led to increased reliance on Briggs and other veterans. With the exception of the Rutgers game, where she left the court after just 10 minutes, Briggs played 30-plus minutes in six of her preceding nine appearances, including 39 minutes against then-No. 3 Iowa.
Briggs’ leadership and presence on the court will undoubtedly be missed. She was among the four players honored on senior day during the Terps’ victory over Penn State.
Now, a pressing question arises: who will step up to fill the void? If head coach Brenda Frese chooses not to introduce a new player into the fold, the Terps will stick with their current rotation of seven players.
Frese hinted at an increased role for Emily Fisher in light of Briggs’ injury during Friday’s practice. However, she emphasized replacing Briggs’ impact will require a collective effort.