DePaul Athletics announced on Tuesday junior forward Mart’e Grays will miss the upcoming women’s basketball season with a torn achilles.
![Junior forward Mart'e Grays. (Josh Leff/The DePaulia)](https://depauliaonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/MG_5786-333x500.jpg)
“Losing players to injury is one of the only bad aspects of coaching,” head coach Doug Bruno said in the press release. “All of us in the DePaul program – both coaches and teammates – really feel for Mart’e.”
Grays, 6-feet-2 inches, was a potential starter for the Blue Demons in the post, and the Blue Demons’ lack of size is emphasized with the loss of 6-foot-2 Grays for the season. Alongside 2015-16 starter senior Jacqui Grant, the Blue Demons only have two other forwards on the roster: junior Meri Bennett-Swanson, who averaged four minutes per game last season, and 6-foot-1 inch freshman Chante Stonewall. Freshman Claire McMahon is listed as a guard, but comes in at 6-feet-1 inches as well.
Grays played in all 36 games in 2015-16 and started seven of them. She averaged 15.3 minutes per game with 5.9 points and 3.7 rebounds.
DePaul was going to be a small team this season with only four forwards on the roster after senior Brandi Harvey-Carr and sophomore Elri Liebenberg transferred, but the loss of Grays compounds that further.
The Blue Demons return three starters from their run to the 2016 Sweet Sixteen: senior guard Jessica January, senior guard Brooke Schulte and senior foward Jacqui Grant. They open up the season on Nov. 1 with an exhibtion game.