Dallas' Christmas-Kelly out for season with knee injury

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ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) Dallas Wings forward Karima Christmas-Kelly will undergo knee surgery and miss the rest of the season, the team announced Tuesday.

Christmas-Kelly started Dallas' first six games this season before missing Friday's win over Indiana with the injury, and she's averaging 9.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. The surgery will address what the team called an ''osteochondral defect'' in her right knee and has an expected recovery time of six months.

Dallas coach Fred Williams said the team supports Christmas-Kelly's decision to have surgery and expects her to fully recover and continue her career.

The Wings (4-3) have been granted a roster hardship exemption and have signed forward Teana Muldrow following Christmas-Kelly's injury. Muldrow was the 29th overall pick in the 2018 WNBA draft by the Seattle Storm out of West Virginia.