It started as one of the best weeks of her life but it ended in a gasp of pain when young basketballer Tahlia Tupaea limped off the court with a knee injury during the Sydney Uni Flames’ WNBL loss to the Canberra Capitals on Sunday.
Just days after making the Opals squad for a series of major events in 2019, Tupaea produced her best game this season before injuring her knee late in the final quarter.
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Coach Cheryl Chambers said it appears Tupaea has suffered ligament damage to her knee and will be out for the Flames last game of the season against Townsville next week.
“Hopefully it will be just a three or four week injury for her and she will bunce back,’’ said Chambers, who is also an Opals assistant coach.
The first Opals squad camp Tupaea must attend is in April.
Tupaea was out for four weeks earlier this season with a concussion.
Canberra secured top spot on the league ladder with their 99-79 defeat of a Flames side ravaged by injury from pre-season.
Tupaea racked up 22 points before her injury with captain Belinda Snell scoring 15 in her second last WNBL game.
Snell was given a standing ovation at game end in honour of her extraordinary career in basketball which included numerous Olympic Games medals and WNBL crowns.
A poor start put the Flames on the backfoot from the start on Sunday with the hosts trailing 17-30 at the first break.
But the beleaguered side then rallied to match Canberra 29-29 in the second before laying down 21 points to Canberras 22 in the third.
With Tupaea out last in the third, the score blew out with the Flames unable to put any points on the board in the final minutes of the game.
