Phoenix Mercury forward Chardé Houston undergoes successful knee surgery

From the Phoenix Mercury:

Phoenix Mercury forward Chardé Houston today underwent successful arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn meniscus in her left knee, the club has announced. The procedure was performed by Dr. Evan Lederman in Phoenix, Ariz. She will begin rehabilitation immediately and is expected to take 6-8 weeks to recover.

Houston sustained the injury on July 10 in the first half of the Mercury’s matinee game vs. Los Angeles. She missed the next game, the team’s final game before the month-long hiatus. Further evaluation revealed the extent of the injury and need for surgery.

Brought to Phoenix from Minnesota during the offseason in a sign-and-trade deal, Houston is having a breakout season averaging a career-high 13.2 points per game compared to just 9.5 points per game over four seasons with the Lynx. The 6-0 forward, who has played more on the perimeter in Phoenix’s system, has been the Mercury’s most lethal shooting threat, connecting on a career-high 38.8 percent of her 3-point shots. In the five games before her injury, Houston was averaging 16.4 points on 15-of-35 (.429) 3-point shooting.

Houston had been inserted into the starting lineup in place of the injured Diana Taurasi, and made 16 starts in the club’s first 19 games, already her most since 2009 (33). She has played a career-high 26.9 minutes per contest, over three minutes more than any other season of her career.

The Mercury returns from the break on Thursday, August 16 when it takes on the Seattle Storm in KeyArena.