Oregon's Sedona Prince to undergo season-ending surgery; sets sights on pro career

Oregon women’s basketball star Sedona Prince has officially played her final game as a Duck.

Prince, one of the brightest stars in all of college basketball, will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a torn ligament in her elbow. In a statement, UO announced that the fifth-year senior has opted to exhaust her remaining NCAA eligibility and will pursue a professional basketball career after her surgery next month.

“I’m heartbroken,” stated Prince. “I truly felt that this was the year I could showcase my work ethic and skills on the court, but also my self-growth and leadership ability. I tried to push through the injury and be there for my team, but after extensive evaluation from the best doctors in the world and looking deep inside myself at my passions and goals, I know that I have to take care my elbow now in order to ensure long-term health and a sustained professional career.  As an elite athlete, current entrepreneur, and future wave maker I pride myself on creating and continuing to drive impact in everything I do. Not being able to play with my teammates this year is painful and tragic for me.  However, I’m so grateful for the entire community of Eugene for their continued support and inspiration to always push forward through adversity. After all, pressure is a privilege.

“I will always love this challenging program and its ability hold me accountable and to always elevate my game.  The Eugene community took this Texas girl in immediately and made me feel like family. I will forever cherish the relationships and experiences I have made here on this journey.”

In three seasons at Oregon, Prince played 50 games and started 28. She averaged 9.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 54% from the field.

“We are going to miss Sedona,” Oregon coach Kelly Graves said in a press release. “She has done so many wonderful things and has been an incredible representative of our program and the University. Her impact on collegiate athletics, especially in the area of gender equity, has been immense and will be felt for generations to come. I wish her only the best in all of her future endeavors. I cannot wait to see the ways she will continue to positively impact and change our world. Once a Duck, always a Duck.”

The 6-foot-7 fifth-year senior began her career at Texas and missed her freshman season due to injury. She then transferred to Oregon, but was forced to sit out the 2019-20 season after being denied immediate eligibility by the NCAA.

In addition to being a key contributor for the Ducks, Prince has established herself as one of the more well-known college athletes in the nation due to her work off the court. She has built a massive social media following due in part to her work as an advocate for gender equality in college athletics.

According to the On3 NIL 100, Prince has the 76th-highest name, image, and likeness valuation of any college or high school athlete in the nation at $543k. That is the second-highest of any Oregon athlete, behind only Ducks’ quarterback Bo Nix.

During Oregon’s media availability earlier this week, Prince was seen practicing with a brace on her arm. When asked about Princes’ status, Graves said he wasn’t sure of her injury timeline at that point, although it was apparent she would not be available for Friday’s season-opening exhibition matchup with Carroll College at Matthew Knight Arena.

Graves was asked then which players might see their roles increase with Prince absent, and he mentioned 6-foot-7 freshman forward Kennedy Basham.

“Kennedy has actually been one of the most pleasant surprises of the fall,” Graves said. “She didn’t play her last year of high school — she had surgery so that she would be ready to play in college. So she hasn’t really played in any games since a couple of summers ago. So it’s been a while; you can tell she’s a little rusty. But I’ve been really impressed with what I’ve seen from her.”

Graves was also complimentary of the strides that 6-foot-8 sophomore center Phillipina Kyeimade during the offseason.

“I think a lot of it is just confidence with her,” Graves said. “She had a chance to play with the (Canadien) senior national team in the FIBA World Cup. So she was going against pros every day. She’s learned some things and come back with a lot of confidence.

“She’s super athletic; if we can just get her to consistently run the floor and do those kinds of things, you guys, she’s gonna have an amazing future.”