UConn freshman guard Caroline Doty will miss the rest of the season after an examination revealed that she tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee with 27.9 seconds left in the first half of Saturday's game against Syracuse.

Doty, who tore her left ACL for the second time in 17 months, started the first 17 games for top-ranked Huskies' first 17 games. The 5-foot-10 guard from Doylestown, Pa. was fourth on the team in scoring at 8.6 points per game and was third on the team with 30 3-pointers.

UConn released a statement on Doty's injury on Sunday afternoon.
"UConn freshman Caroline Doty suffered a torn ACL in her left knee during the Huskies' 107-53 win over Syracuse Saturday. She is expected to miss the remainder of the season. No surgery date has been set."

After Saturday's win over Syracuse, UConn coach Geno Auriemma said he was leaning towards starting junior Kaili McLaren in Doty's place. If he inserts McLaren into the starting lineup, she would likely play the power forward while Maya Moore would shift to either the small forward or shooting guard positions.

"We are going to have to change the way we play a little," Auriemma said. "We are not going to be able to be as full court as much and not play as much man to man. We are a while different team, we have one less shooter out on the floor, one less ballhandler. We'll have to kind of adapt and go from there."

The other viable options would be to insert freshman Tiffany Hayes into Doty's spot while which allow the other UConn starters to remain in the same position. Sophomore Lorin Dixon could be inserted into the lineup at point guard and Renee Montgomery would shift over to the shooting guard. That is what the Huskies did a year ago when starting shooting guard Mel Thomas suffered a season-ending knee injury against Syracuse. Two games later Dixon had just one turnover in 23 minutes in a win over North Carolina.

Whoever moves into the starting lineup will leave a gap on UConn's already short bench. Auriemma may have to rely more on Meghan Gardler or Tahirah Williams to return to an eight-player rotation.

"I can check the waiver wire but it doesn't work that way in college so you have to go with what you've got," Auriemma said. "There is nothing you can do about it. It is not like we have any kinds of choices."

Because she appeared in 17 games this season, Doty is not eligible to apply for an additional year of eligibility.