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Down in a heap. The National Championship hanging in the balance. The star player injured, unable to return. That was the scene last April, in the third quarter of the women’s title game between Baylor and Notre Dame. The injured player was Baylor’s Lauren Cox. The basketball world, in fact, Cox herself, feared that she had suffered a torn ACL or MCL, and that her senior season, this 2019-20 campaign, would be lost to rehab. But after Baylor secured the national title and the team returned to Waco, Baylor's trainer phoned with entirely different news: Cox had a sprained left medial collateral ligament and bone bruising. She'd need rest and some rehab to heal, but no surgery. Her senior season in 2019-20 was still a go. "It was just a huge relief; I didn't even know what to say," Cox told ESPN’s Mechelle Voepel. "I was super happy. A lot of prayers answered.” And when the Associated Press announced the pre-season women’s All-America team, there was Lauren Cox’ name. “Lauren Cox is the epitome of what a student-athlete should be, academically one of the finest students that Baylor has ever had. On the floor she’s one of the most talented players we’ve ever had in our program,” Baylor coach Kim Mulkey said. Joining Cox on the AP’s team is Oregon superstar Sabrina Ionescu. Sabrina decided to come back for her senior season at Oregon instead of heading to the WNBA. She’s the NCAA career leader in triple-doubles. Rounding out the squad: Texas A&M’s Chennedy Carter, Maryland’s Kaila Charles and Miami’s Beatrice Mom-premier. Ionescu has 18 triple-doubles in her career and is poised to add more for the No. 1 team in the country, which lost to Cox and Baylor in the Final Four last season. Ducks coach Kelly Graves told the AP he has seen a new determination from his star guard this fall, but also the ability to relax and enjoy her final college season. “I’ve seen tremendous focus, but also I’ve seen a young lady having some fun,” Graves said. “I don’t think she put a burden on herself or anyone else. I think she’s been a lot of fun this fall. She’s having a great time.”
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