Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter suffered a sternum contusion during a Women's Chinese Basketball Association game on Saturday, according to a tweet from Chinese Women's Hoop Show.
"After the game last night, Chennedy Carter experienced rib pain and difficulty breathing," the tweet read. "A post-game examination at the hospital confirmed a sternum contusion. Carter will be placed on the team's daily observation list."
Carter would end the game with a team-high 35 points as her Wuhan Shengfan squad defeated the Henan Phoenix. The 5-foot-9 guard appeared to have suffered the injury on a late-game play in the game's closing seconds. She took to Threads following the game, saying she would be considered day-to-day until she fully recovers.
"IN A MUST WIN," Carter wrote in a Saturday Threads post. "Pray For Me Guys !!! It was tough last and i will be day to day until i recover."
"We back up soon."
A contusion is the medical name for a bruise, the Cleveland Clinic wrote in their health library. A bruised sternum can usually take two to four weeks to heal on its own, but healing time can depend on the severity of the bruise, according to Healthline. The New Health Guide wrote bruised sternums from less traumatic injuries usually require about four to six weeks to heal.
Carter broke out into a leading scoring option for Chicago after signing a training camp contract with the team last February. She led the Sky with 17.5 points per game in 33 games played and 20 starts. Her stellar scoring continued into the WCBA, where she leads the league in points per contest with 31.4.
Carter will be a restricted free agent for Chicago, according to Spotrac. She will join forward Michaela Onyenwere and guard Dana Evans. WNBA teams can extend qualifying offers and designate core players starting on Jan. 11th, CBS Sports wrote in a Friday article. Teams can begin negotiating contracts with free agents on Jan. 21. They can begin signing them on Feb. 1. Training camp will begin for WNBA squads on April 27. The Sky will tip off in their first game of the 2025 regular season on May 17.