A rising star, sidelined.
Out for the season: four words no player, coach, teammate or fan ever wants to hear. Unfortunately for Mississippi State and head coach Vic Schaefer, those are the cards they’ve been dealt with sophomore Chloe Bibby. In the Mississippi State official press release confirming her injury, Schaefer’s comments echo how most probably already felt and currently feel.
“Chloe has worked so hard to be where she is today,” Schaefer said. “My heart is broken for her. If I know Chloe, she will come back bigger, faster and stronger than ever before and will be tireless in her pursuit of excellence.”
Including the game against South Carolina when she got hurt, Bibby appeared in 18 games for the Bulldogs and has been lights out from long-range all year. She was the team’s strongest three-point shooter, connecting on 36 total at a deadly 45% from beyond the arc.
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Mississippi State was undoubtedly shaping up to make another run in the NCAA tournament this season. The Bulldogs’ only loss in the 2018-19 campaign is to Oregon, which happened right before the holiday break. Since that point, they’ve won seven straight games and are 5-0 in SEC action.
Bibby was one of four averaging double-digit points for MSU at 11.9 points per game. Ahead of her are leading scorer Teaira McCowan (17.3 ppg), Anriel Howard (15.2 ppg) and Jordan Danberry (13.4). She and Jazzmun Holmes were seeing the most playing time at over 27 minutes per game.
On January 10, not long before her season-ending injury, Bibby posted a season-high 24 points in MSU’s win over Georgia. For a player who only averaged 3.9 points as a freshman, and just under 14 minutes a game, it was becoming pretty clear she was just getting settled in and has some of her best basketball ahead of her.
All things considered, Bibby still has her best basketball ahead of her once she returns and is healthy. How she improved from freshman to sophomore year is impressive—and a perfect testament to her determination and work ethic that Schaeffer mentions.