Monarchs' Walker out another season with knee injury

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Sacramento Monarchs forward DeMya Walker will miss the WNBA season after breaking her right kneecap while playing in Russia.

The Monarchs said Walker was injured on Sunday and examined Thursday at the UC Davis sports medicine clinic. She will undergo surgery Friday that will keep her out for six months.

The surgery is the latest setback for the injury-plagued Walker, who tore a tendon in her right knee just five games into last season with the Monarchs. Sacramento supervised her rehabilitation and cleared her to play for a team in Orenburg, Russia, expecting her to return to the Monarchs this weekend.

"This is a hard blow for DeMya, as hard as she worked at her rehabilitation during the offseason," Monarchs general manager John Whisenant said. "It's also hard news for the franchise, but we can deal with it."

Walker, an eight-year WNBA veteran from Virginia, was Sacramento's leading scorer and an all-star in 2005 when the Monarchs won the WNBA title, but she missed half of that season with right knee injuries. She then missed half of the 2006 season after giving birth to her daughter.