Duke in the WNBA: Christmas-Kelly to undergo season-ending surgery

<p>Former Duke star Lexie Brown has struggled to find a role for the Connecticut Sun.</p>

Former Duke star Lexie Brown has struggled to find a role for the Connecticut Sun.

With the 2018 WNBA season in full swing, the Blue Zone takes a look at the eight former Blue Devils currently playing across five WNBA teams in the league's fourth week of games for the year.

Alana Beard and Chelsea Gray, Los Angeles Sparks

In a 77-59 victory over the Chicago Sky on June 10, Chelsea Gray went off for 15 points, four rebounds and three assists on 5-of-12 shooting including five makes from the free throw line. Gray’s one steal matched Alana Beard’s lone steal on the night. Although she was held scoreless for only the second time all season, Beard grabbed seven defensive rebounds and finished with one assist in 21 minutes.

Two days later, the Sparks earned their second consecutive win as the team from the West Coast finished up its home stand with a 72-64 victory against the Atlanta Dream. Gray backed up her strong outing against the Sky with 10 points, three rebounds, and seven assists against the Dream. Beard registered six points along with a pair of assists and rebounds.

In the Sparks next game against the Washington Mystics, both former Blue Devils scored in double figures in a 97-86 victory. Beard scored a season-high 10 points while registering three assists and two rebounds in 29 minutes. Gray recorded 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting and three free throws to go along with five assists and three rebounds.

Upcoming: June 17 at Chicago Sky; June 19 v. Indiana Fever

Lexie Brown and Jasmine Thomas, Connecticut Sun

The Connecticut Sun’s memorable start to the 2018 season continued June 9 against the defending champion Minnesota Lynx. After an even opening quarter, the Sun slowly ran away with the game for an 89-75 victory. In 31 minutes, Jasmine Thomas notched 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting after the dramatic buzzer-beater in the game before. The former Duke star was a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe while grabbing three rebounds and dished our four assists. Lexie Brown was held scoreless with one missed 3-point attempt in two minutes of action.

In Connecticut’s next game, the Washington Mystics took control of the contest from the opening tip and extended their lead to 30 points in the first half. But the momentum shifted at halftime and the Sun came all the way back to take the lead late in the fourth quarter, but were unable to close out the game. The Mystics walked away victorious 95-91. Thomas contributed 13 points, five assists and three rebounds in the defeat while Brown did not take the floor.


For the second consecutive game, the Sun could not get the win. This time, the Seattle Storm took the night 103-92 last night. Thomas tied her career-high with 29 points on four made triples to accompany an all-around night from the Sun point guard. She brought down five rebounds and recorded six assists and three blocks. Brown once again drained a 3-pointer, which came at the conclusion of the opening quarter. The recent Duke graduate recorded three assists and a pair of steals in a season-high 15 minutes.

Upcoming: June 16 at Phoenix Mercury

Monique Currie and Krystal Thomas, Washington Mystics

In the aforementioned game between the Mystics and the Sun, Monique Currie played only 19 minutes, but scored 13 points and brought down six rebounds. The 6-foot forward knocked down a triple and shot 6-for-7 from the free throw line. Krystal Thomas did not play in the game.

With only a day off to recover from the dramatic conclusion to the Sun game, the Mystics went down 18 points at halftime and were unable to get all the way. Currie drained one 3-pointer in a 7-point showing in a 97-86 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks. Thomas only saw the floor for five minutes and finished the game scoreless without a shot in the loss.


Upcoming: June 19 v. Chicago Sky

Elizabeth Williams, Atlanta Dream

In an 87-83 victory against the Las Vegas Aces, Elizabeth Williams finished four points on 2-of-6 shooting. Williams grabbed five rebounds and recorded an assist. The former Blue Devil registered one steal and a pair of blocks in 27 minutes.

In the next game only two days later against the Seattle Storm, the Dream center drained one free throw while missing three shots from the field. Williams brought down four rebounds and recorded two assists in a 67-64 win. 

But Atlanta’s three-game win streak came to an abrupt end June 12 as the Dream lost 72-64 to the Los Angeles Sparks. Williams scored two points on 25 percent shooting on four shots while bringing down three rebounds. She also had two steals and an assist in a season-low 15 minutes. 

But the Dream did not last long in the losing column. In 24 minutes two days later, Williams also scored two points on only two shots while grabbing three rebounds and an assist. The Atlanta center finished the contest with two blocks for 72-67 victory against the Indiana Fever.

Upcoming: June 16 at Indiana Fever; June 19 at New York Liberty

Karima Christmas-Kelly, Dallas Wings

On June 12, the Dallas Wings announced via a press release that the former Duke forward will miss the remainder of the season. 

“The Dallas Wings announced [June 12] forward Karima Christmas-Kelly will undergo season-ending knee surgery and miss the remainder of the 2018 season,” the press release stated.



Discussion

Share and discuss “Duke in the WNBA: Christmas-Kelly to undergo season-ending surgery” on social media.