Chloe Kitts injury: South Carolina star suffers season-ending torn ACL

On Monday, South Carolina star Chloe Kitts announced she suffered a torn ACL and will miss her senior season. Kitts revealed the news on a post to her Instagram.

“Thank you to everyone who has reached out with love and support. I recently suffered an ACL tear and, unfortunately, will be out for this season,” Kitts wrote. “While this isn’t how I hoped my senior season would go, I’m trusting God’s timing and purpose. I’ll continue to lead, support, and push my team from the sidelines. We have big things ahead!”

Kitts has been a full-time starter the past two seasons. She averaged 10.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game last season, while shooting 52.0% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc.

Kitts propelled South Carolina to an SEC regular-season championship and the conference tournament title. For her efforts, she was named the SEC Tournament MVP. Kitts led the Gamecocks in scoring and rebounding in the NCAA Tournament en route to a national championship game appearance.

Kitts was also spectacular during her sophomore season. She averaged 9.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per contest, connecting on 54.4% of her attempts from the floor.

In South Carolina’s win over Iowa in the national championship, Chloe Kitts was spectacular, recording her sixth double-double of the season in just 17 minutes of action. South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley released a statement on Kitts’ devastating injury.

“We hate this first for Chloe, who has worked incredibly hard to become the best version of herself on the court this season,” Staley said. “Her teammates are capable of stepping up, and I know that her competitive fire and tenacity will be felt from the sidelines as she pours what she can into them to ensure our team’s success.”

It’s not the first time Staley has raved about Kitts’ leadership. Ahead of the Final Four last season, Staley raved about Kitts’ growth during her time at South Carolina.

“I am super proud of Chloe,” Staley said. “Chloe came to us, she skipped her high school year and came to us halfway through the school year, probably thought it was the worst decision that she made when she was going through it, but then the following year, she was a lot better.

“But her maturation process from everything, like, she’s grown in every aspect of her life… Mentally, physically, emotionally, like, you know, we have grown-up conversations, and I can’t believe it sometimes because of how she came in. Now she’s really thought-provoking, like she is really asking all the right things.”

Kitts must use her mental strength now to overcome her injury. South Carolina will face Anderson in a preseason exhibition on Oct. 24.