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South Florida’s Laksa goes down, but opportunity awaits the Bulls

By Carly Grenfell

UNCASVILLE, CT - MARCH 06: South Florida Bulls Guard Kitija Laksa (33) shoots over UConn Huskies Guard Katie Lou Samuelson (33) during the game as the South Florida Bulls take on the UConn Huskies on March 06, 2018 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. (Photo by Williams Paul/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
UNCASVILLE, CT - MARCH 06: South Florida Bulls Guard Kitija Laksa (33) shoots over UConn Huskies Guard Katie Lou Samuelson (33) during the game as the South Florida Bulls take on the UConn Huskies on March 06, 2018 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. (Photo by Williams Paul/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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South Florida loses Kitija Laksa, but gains a chance to learn about itself.

Out for the season: four words that no athlete, let alone a senior athlete, wants to hear.

The heart and soul of the University of South Florida’s roster, Kitija Laksa, suffered an ACL injury in Thursday’s (Nov. 16) game against Bethune Cookman. Last season, she led the Bulls in scoring at over 20 points per game and was well on her way to doing the same this year.

Through three games, the Latvia native was averaging 16.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and was playing all but nine of 40 minutes per game. Although the immediate future likely looks dim for Laska herself and the rest of the team, she thankfully qualifies for a medical redshirt and can compete as a fifth-year senior if she chooses not to turn professional. Prior to the injury, High Post Hoops projected her to be selected tenth overall in the 2019 draft.

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The questions that linger after a blow as enormous as this one are 1) how well she will bounce back from the injury and 2) how will the rest of the season end up for USF? Six to nine months of intensive recovery for the All-America candidate and the Bulls having to carry on without their biggest offensive weapon will be no cakewalk for either party.

Without Laksa, here’s what USF has to make up for.

  • Production. The most glaring and obvious challenge to resolve. Laura Ferreira has had a promising season averaging 16.0 points through three games. Her stepping up will help tremendously, but it won’t solve everything.
  • Length. She may be known for her scoring prowess, but 6’0″ is also detrimental to defensive matchups and offensive and defensive rebounding.
  • Stamina. Averaging just over 30 minutes per game, that’s a lot of time and energy to fill. This could turn into more fatigue (more playing time for the starters), more growing pains (more playing time for the less experienced players) or a combination of both.

Without Laska, there are also opportunities that await USF.

  • Growth. When your star player goes down and adversity strikes, it gives you perspective. They can either collapse or realize their purpose, rally around her and play for something bigger than themselves.
  • Experience. Doors open for other players in situations like this who may not have otherwise had an opportunity to play. This can reap benefits for the Bulls down the line.
  • An underdog mentality. When you lose all that Laksa brought to the table, it’s a little easier for opponents to doubt you. Sometimes, adopting an underdog mentality is the difference between a great season and an average one.

An emotional few days, no doubt, for USF — but with a quick turnaround having Oklahoma slated for Sunday, Nov. 18 in Tampa. The subject of time certainly comes into play for the Bulls early on in the season: time for Laksa to heal and time for the team to find their new normal without her on the floor. The sooner the better, yet something that unfortunately can’t be rushed or even predicted.

(Editor’s note: this article has been updated to reflect the following corrections: Laksa is from Latvia, not Spain, and USF next plays Oklahoma, not Oklahoma State. We apologize for the errors.)

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