Bogie, county standout Williams injured

By JOHN C. COTEY
Published April 21, 2005

Boca Ciega guard Tiffany Williams, one of Pinellas County's top returning players for next season, may have torn her ACL and MCL Friday night at an AAU tournament in Atlanta, her mother said Tuesday.

Williams will see orthopedic physician Koco Eaton today and plans to get an MRI within the next week to determine the extent of the injury.

"The trainer at the tournament said he believes it's an MCL and ACL tear," said Maria Williams, Tiffany's mother. "But officially, we don't know."

Playing for St. Petersburg's Mad Skillz AAU team, Williams and Lakewood's Sade Brown flanked Seminole's Chelsea Patterson on a fastbreak. Both wing players made their move to the basket, with Brown becoming entangled with an opposing player and tumbling to the floor. She landed on Williams' right leg.

Williams said her knee was dislocated, but an X-ray revealed no broken bones.

"There's ligament damage, so it's pretty upsetting," Williams said.

Maria Williams said she was hoping to see her daughters play together for the first time next season. Last year as a freshman, Kimberly Williams made the varsity team at Bogie before tearing her ACL during a rec league game, causing her to miss the high school season.

If she has an ACL tear, Tiffany Williams could still return next season. Last year, returning county player of the year Nicole Ryan suffered a similar injury around this same time and made it back on the Clearwater roster for the season opener. She did, however, suffer another injury to the same knee that ended her season after two weeks.

Williams was expected to be one of the favorites for player of the year honors next season. This past season she averaged 14 points for the Pirates and was named first-team all-county, all-conference and all-Suncoast.

"She's a strong girl and has always worked out to keep strong," Maria Williams said. "I know with her determination, she's going to do whatever it takes to recoup as quick as she can."

[Last modified April 21, 2005, 01:06:12]