The Miami Dade College women’s basketball team was dealt a major blow before the regular season started when their projected starting center dislocated her right shoulder.

Lianne Miller, 19, a transfer from Lake Region State College in North Dakota, suffered the injury during a team practice.

The 6-foot-4 sophomore was expected to provide muscle inside for the Lady Sharks. Miller averaged twelve points, nine rebounds, and two blocks per game last year.

Despite the injury, Miller has remained focused on helping her teammates.

“She is a very determined girl, and she is very self-motivated,” said Lady Sharks power forward Eboni Joy Brown. “She will come to individual people during practice and tell us we can do it. She gives us advice on techniques on the floor, and anymore problems we may have, such as shooting.”

Miller, who grew up in Southampton, England, started playing basketball when she was nine years old. She spent years honing her skills at various clubs and leagues.

“I got into basketball through my parents. My mother played professionally at that time in Europe,” Miller said.  “My mom used to play the same position as me, so all the moves and techniques I know are because I learned it from her.”

Miller hopes to get an opportunity to continue her collegiate basketball career next year at a four-year school after she rehabs from her injury. She is expected to play for England at the 2012 Olympics.

Eventually, Miller hopes to play professional basketball like her mother did.

“Being a part of a pro team will truly be a dream come true for me” Miller said. “It’s exactly what I worked for all of my life.”