Elon women’s basketball star guard Jayda Angel will miss the remainder of the season after getting injured in the second game of the season Nov. 6 against the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, according to a press release from Elon Athletics. Angel, the reigning Coastal Athletic Association Rookie of the Year, fell while coming to a jump stop on a drive to the basket.
Head coach Charlotte Smith said she hopes for a quick recovery.
“This is a heartbreaking reality that we will pull through together as Jayda’s Phoenix family,” Smith said in the press release. “We pray for a speedy recovery for her.”
Angel is coming off a prolific freshman campaign where she became the first player in program history to win both CAA Rookie of the Year and Sixth Player of the Year. Angel appeared in all 30 games, averaging 9.9 points per game, which was second on the team. She also notched the second-most field goals made, free throws made and steals on the team. Her defensive ability was also impactful as she led all CAA rookies in steals per game.
Last season, Angel came off the bench in every game, acting as the team’s spark plug when the starters needed a breather. However, she was in the starting lineup in both games played this year, indicating that an important role was carved out for her this year. With last year’s leading scorer, Raven Preston, gone via the transfer portal, Angel was poised to become one of the team’s primary scorers.
Before the season started, Angel told Elon News Network that she had grown mentally and physically.
“Last year I was adjusting to the pace and pressure, but now I feel way more in control,” Angel said. “I learned to slow the game down, and really just not get too overwhelmed.”
A big focal point in the offseason for Angel was making sure she could compete with bigger guards.
“Last year, I felt like I was a little undersized. I felt a little weak. When I was going against other guards, I just felt pushed around,” Angel said. “This summer I really got in the weight room, lifting more so I can have more tone to my arms and being stronger with the ball going up for rebounds or anything, and not just getting bumped off.”
Angel got off to a hot start in her first collegiate start in the team’s season opener against East Tennessee State on Nov. 3. Angel led the team with 16 points, which included a game-tying jumper with three seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime.
Elon Athletics did not specify the injury that she sustained.