Syracuse WBB's Diamond Henderson Suffers Season-Ending ACL Injury

Syracuse senior guard Diamond Henderson will miss the rest of the season after tearing her left ACL, head coach Quentin Hillsman announced Tuesday morning.

Henderson injured her knee during Syracuse's regular season finale against Clemson on Thursday.  She averaged 10.5 points per game this season, which was third on the team and led all bench players.

Hillsman, who uses a deep rotation with his up-tempo style, acknowledged that Henderson's loss is a big one.

"We have to get some production off our bench and we need to get the players who are playing heavy minutes to get one or two more points here or there," Hillsman said.  "Get another rebound or another steal here or there."

Henderson, a 5-foot-6 point guard, transferred from Tennessee Tech this season and was a perfect fit for Hillsman's high-octane brand of basketball.  She ran the floor well, could drive to the basket and played her best in some of Syracuse's biggest games of the season.

Part of the reason she came to Syracuse was to give the team the production it missed by not having Brittney Sykes. But like Sykes, Henderson becomes another casualty to the ACL tear and won't compete in postseason play for the Orange, either.

"They’re my daughters so I hurt for them," Hillsman said.  "When you get that news, your heart kind of just sinks.  You feel bad for the kid and you think about her future."