Georgia women's basketball will be without one of its best players for the rest of this season.

Senior forward Zoesha Smith will not return after suffering a knee injury earlier this month against Alabama.

"Zoe is a big part of what we do," fifth year forward Javyn Nicholson said. "It was very sad to see her go down like that, but that's just what happened. You can't control it. She's a soldier so we know she's going to be okay; we've just got to make sure that we're there for her every day."

"It's definitely tough, injuries are always difficult to deal with," junior guard Asia Avinger added. "It's important for us to continue to support her through(out)."

During Sunday's 69-59 loss against Ole Miss, Smith was on the sideline in Stegeman Coliseum with her left leg extended and used crutches when walking. There is no timeline for recovery for the undisclosed injury, as she hasn't undergone the necessary surgery yet.

"For the team, that takes some of their energy out," head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson said. "They love her. She's great to have on the team. She's an amazing kid. She brings a different kind of energy to the team, she's very fun loving and she's always a kid that's like, 'you got this, you got that.' It's been hard for them to just see her on the sidelines."

Smith was a vital part of Georgia's starting lineup and the team's second leading scorer. In 16 games, she averaged almost 10 points and 5 rebounds per game. Abrahamson-Henderson said the team must figure out who will fill the void in terms of scoring, offensive rebounds and playing the top of the press.

"People have got to step up," Nicholson said. "A lot of people are being asked to do a little bit more, 1 percent more than what they're used to doing. We're still trying to figure (this) out. It's a grind, it's an adjustment everybody has to make."

Abrahamson-Henderson plans to help Smith remained engaged with the team by giving her a different role. She has her speak during practice and do other things, as if she were a coach.

Georgia (10-9) plays next at Auburn on Monday, Jan. 29.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia women's basketball senior Zoesha Smith ruled out for season