Kelly Graves Updates Injuries to Key Oregon Players Ahead of Home Stand

Oregon Ducks Head Coach Kelly Graves spoke with the media on Thursday and gave a few updates on some key players returning back from injury in the near future.

The big three to keep an eye out for are guards Endyia Rogers, Te-Hina Paopao, and forward Nyara Sabally. Paopao was omitted from Graves’ comments this Thursday, meaning she will likely still miss an extended period of time dealing with a knee issue. The news on the remaining two injured Ducks, however, was much more positive. First, the word on Rogers:

“Neither [Rogers or Sabally] will be playing in our homestand, but there is a chance that we get both of them back, definitely Endiya [Rogers], for our midwest trip.” said Graves. “I think [Rogers] will be cleared to practice by the 15th, maybe the 16th, and then we play on the 18th, so she’ll have a couple of practices under her belt at Kansas State.”

It looks like the long-awaited return of Endyia Rogers is just two games away. Oregon will have to make it through two home games against Long Beach State and McNeese State without Rogers’ services.

But Graves sounded confident that the transfer guard from USC would be ready for the team’s games in the midwest against Kansas State and Northwestern prior to kicking off conference play. Rogers will be a welcome sight in an Oregon backcourt that is short on depth with Paopao still sidelined for an unknown amount of time.

The Ducks will also enjoy not seeing Rogers on the other side of a conference battle, as the former USC Trojan averaged 15.3 points in her three career games against the Ducks.

Graves was also happy with Sabally’s recovery. He said it was possible that Sabally could feature in one of the two games in the midwest, but seemed confident that she would be back once Pac-12 play is in full swing.

Sabally has only played in two regular season games this year thanks to a lingering knee injury picked up in the season opener against Idaho State. Sabally returned for the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament opening round against Oklahoma and showed out.

The 6-foot-5 forward went off for 30 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, 10 fourth-quarter points and, most importantly, the W to send Oregon to play the No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks. Sabally hasn’t made an appearance since her unreal game in the Bahamas; and the Ducks have certainly missed her, going 1-3 in the four games since Sabally re-aggravated her injury.

Despite a middling start to the season, Graves was all smiles during the press conference session per usual. Now in his eighth season in Eugene, Graves knows better than anyone how to get the Ducks ready for postseason glory.

“What we’re playing with right now is not the team we’re going to be playing with in February and March,” said Graves. “Longterm [is] what I’m most concerned about.”

Graves is confident in this iteration of his Oregon Ducks as they wade deeper into the 2021-22 campaign.

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