Two of the world’s best teams lost their star shooters to knee injuries after New Zealand’s Grace Nweke and South Africa’s Lenize Potgieter were ruled out of the rest of the World Cup.
Nweke, 21, was set for a breakthrough tournament in Cape Town, South Africa.
But she was in tears after suffering the “devastating” injury in the Silver Ferns’ win over Singapore on Sunday.
Potgieter had missed the Proteas’ first two matches but played against Jamaica on Sunday before being deemed unfit.
Reserve shooter Tiana Metuarau has been called up to replace Nweke, while Potgieter is replaced by Owethu Ngubane.
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Potgieter, 29, who has 89 caps and was playing in her third World Cup, wore heavy strapping to both knees as the host nation lost 67-49 to Jamaica.
She played three quarters but South Africa announced on Monday she would be unable to continue and could only watch from the sidelines as her team beat Trinidad and Tobago 69-28 in their opening match of the second pool phase of the competition.
Goal shooter Nweke, who has 24 caps, was set for a breakthrough tournament after winning the ANZ Premiership with Northern Mystics but limped off court in tears in the third quarter of New Zealand’s victory over Singapore.
But Silver Ferns head coach Noeline Taurua said it is not “a blow” to their hopes of retaining the title.
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“Unsurprisingly, [for] a 21-year-old, when things don’t quite work out, it’s devastating for her,” Taurua said.—BBC
