Connecticut Sun rookie guard Rachel Banham, a former Gophers women's basketball standout, had season-ending microfracture surgery on her right knee Friday, the WNBA team announced.
Rehabilitation from the surgery, performed by team orthopedist Dr. Ammar Anbari, is between four and six months.
Sun General Manager Chris Sienko said that the initial plan was for Banham to undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair a lateral meniscus tear, before it was known that a more serious procedure might be required. "This puts Rachel in great position to rehab and return with no issues," Sienko said.
Selected with the fourth overall pick in the WNBA draft, Banham appeared in 15 games for the Sun, making 20 of 49 shots from the floor. She was limited to five minutes and no points in the Sun's come-from-behind overtime victory Thursday night over the Lynx.
Banham suffered injuries to the ACL and MCL in her right knee 10 games into the 2014-15 Gophers season but made a full recovery to be named a 2016 All-America.
Johnson joins Saints as pitcher, loses
Blaine graduate Dan Johnson, a veteran of 10 major league seasons as a position player, signed with the St. Paul Saints as a knuckleballer. He started Friday night and gave up five runs on seven hits in five innings in an 8-1 loss at Fargo-Moorhead.
Johnson hit .234 with 57 home runs and 203 RBI in 443 big-league games, primarily as a first baseman.
