The UConn Huskies received some positive news on Tuesday after star guard Paige Bueckers did not return following an awkward collision in Sunday’s game against Villanova.
According to ESPN’s Alexa Philippou, Bueckers has a knee sprain that may only keep her out for one week.
The sprain occurred to Bueckers’s left knee, which is the same knee she suffered a torn ACL to in 2022. Fortunately, head coach Geno Auriemma told reporters on Tuesday that nothing was torn.
This is when the injury occurred late in the third quarter of Sunday’s game with the Huskies leading, 63-37.
The diagnosis has to be a sigh of relief for the program. Bueckers was sidelined the entire 2022-23 season with the ACL tear after missing most of the 2021-22 season with a tibial plateau fracture and meniscus tear. Each of those injuries were in her left knee.
If the Huskies are going to make their 16th Final Four appearance in the last 17 seasons, the health of the 2021 National Player of the Year and likely No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft is paramount.
Bueckers is the team’s leading scorer with 19.9 PPG. She also puts up an average of 4.3 RPG, 4.0 APG, 2.1 SPG and shoots an efficient 55.9% from the floor. With 1,982 career points in 100 games, Bueckers only needs 18 points to become the fastest player in UConn history to score 2,000 points, which would surpass Maya Moore’s record of 108 games.
With no ranked opponent on UConn’s schedule until No. 16 Tennessee on Feb. 6, the Huskies (13-2, 4-0 Big East) have more than enough talent to win their upcoming games against Xavier (5-9, 0-3 Big East) on Wednesday and Georgetown (8-6, 1-2 Big East) on Saturday.
Considering freshman forward Sarah Strong (17.5 PPG) is the only other player averaging double-figure scoring on the team, UConn must have its star on the court if it is going to be a serious contender and make another deep NCAA Tournament run.
