July 7, 2004
University of Iowa junior point guard Lindsay Richards underwent successful surgery today to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee. The surgery was performed at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics.
Richards will likely be sidelined five to six months and is expected to make a full recovery. The native of Barrington, IL, sustained the injury during practice with the Big Ten All-Stars before the team left for Australia in early-June. This is the second time in as many years she has undergone surgery to repair a damaged ACL in her right knee. Richards’ first ACL injury came in a home game against Denver on December 12, 2002.
“Unfortunately Lindsay Richards re-injured her knee during the Big Ten All-Stars foreign trip last month, said Iowa Head Coach Lisa Bluder. “We hope to have her back for a majority of the Big Ten season. She was making great strides in the Game Time League this summer. Her confidence was growing as our starting point guard.”
Richards started all 29 games for a Hawkeye team that finished with a 16-13 record, tied for fourth in the Big Ten and advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season. She ranked fifth on the team in scoring (5.4 ppg) and free throw percentage (39-51, .765), second in assists (85) and fourth in steals (27). Her 2.93 assists average ranked 11th in the Big Ten. Richards was also an academic all-Big Ten selection last year.
Before injuring her knee as a freshman, she played in eight games as a reserve, averaging 4.5 ppg, 1.6 rpg and dishing out 29 assists.