Last week, WNBA All-Star Lauren Jackson found out she had a severe back injury that would keep her out for the rest of the season.

This week, gold medalist and WNBA All-Star Kara Lawson announced that she will miss the rest of the WNBA season with the Sacramento Monarchs due to tendinitis in her right quadriceps muscle. (Ouch.)

Kara Lawson is out for the season with tendinitis.

Lawson, a seven-year veteran, was recently chosen for the U.S. women’s national basketball team. She was one of eight players selected, which speaks to her ability as a point guard.

Chamique Holdsclaw, Lisa Leslie, Katie Douglas, and DeLisha Milton-Jones were all injured at some point this season (among others). Are the veteran’s just getting worn down?

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Post from: EveryJoe

WNBA Veteran’s Continue To Get Hurt

Sure, Candace Parker is a household name, but Leslie was dunking basketballs well before Parker could even drive a car.

Leslie reached yet another milestone in her basketball career by reaching 6,000 points in a game against the Indiana Fever. The exclamation point of the achievement was made as Leslie hit an 11-foot jumper with only 11.9 seconds left before halftime.

Leslie is also an eight-time All-Star, leads the league in career rebounds with 3,203. She is only one of four remaining players from the league’s inaugural season in 1997.

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Lisa Leslie Reaches 6,000 Points

Yolanda Griffith announced her retirement Tuesday after suffering a career-ending tear of her left Achilles tendon back on June 9.

Yolanda Griffith is retiring from the WNBA after 11 seasons. She won a WNBA Championship with the Sacramento Monarchs in 2005.

The 39-year-old Indiana Fever forward has quite the basketball resume. She is a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, and won a WNBA Champtionship back  in 2005 with the Sacramento Monarchs.

Griffith also holds the second spot for rebounding in league history with 2,444 boards. As the second overall pick in the 1999 WNBA draft, she averaged seven rebounds and 10.3 ppg.

As the WNBA moves further into the second decade of its existence, we are going to see more and more outstanding athletes retire from a league they helped create. (Lisa Leslie plans on calling it quits at the end of this season). And at the same time, more talented and incredible athletes are entering the league in order to help keep it afloat.

It’s s bitter sweet situation, no matter how you look at it.

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Yolanda Griffith Decides To Retire

Also on the injured list are  L.A.’s Candace Parker and Minnesota’s Seimone Augustus. Augustus is out for the season with an ACL injury and Parker is just getting back to practice after giving birth to her daughter in May.

Thankfully, there will be plenty of All Stars able to play. Tamika Catchings, who is having a remarkable season was the top vote-getter with 94,316 votes.  Becky Hammon,  Swin Cash and guard Sue Bird were also voted starters.

Tamika Catchings was the top vote-getter for the 2009 WNBA All Star Game.

The game will be held Saturday at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.

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The Injured WNBA All Stars Of 2009

Lisa Leslie is hoping to win a WNBA championship this season. Candace Parker is the key.

Parker is a key component to the Los Angeles Sparks‘ success. She’s the reigning WNBA MVP and was voted rookie of the year last season.

“I think Candace is going to come in when she knows she’s effective and she can contribute,” Leslie said, according to ESPN.com. “I think the beautiful part of it is that she is young enough that she will be able to do it faster than any of us here that have been able to do it. I would say by the end of June she would be in practice.”

In addition to Parker, Leslie also has Tina Thompson, Betty Lennox and DeLisha Milton-Jones at her side. Her teammates want to send her out on a high note and a WNBA championship certainly isn’t out of the realm of possibility for the WNBA veteran and most recognizable face of the Sparks.

Los Angeles opens the season at home on June 6 against Detroit, the defending champions.

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Lisa Leslie Wants Another WNBA Championship