UConn women's basketball star Paige Bueckers suffers injury scare vs. Villanova

01/05/2025 04:27 PM

Coming into this season, the main selling point around UConn women’s basketball was that they were finally healthy. Paige Bueckers had a healthy offseason, Azzi Fudd was coming back and the Huskies would be able to finally have a season where they could mesh together and ramp up to make a run at a National Championship in Bueckers’ final year.

On Sunday, that quest was put in serious jeopardy. While playing out the second half of a blowout win over Villanova, a Wildcats defender dove for a loose ball while Bueckers was attempting to pick it up. Bueckers’ left leg got awkwardly rolled up on and she stayed down on the floor.

Paige Bueckers limps towards the locker room after a collision: pic.twitter.com/nbdDgibTJj

— UConn on SNY (@SNYUConn) January 5, 2025

Bueckers went to the locker room before returning to the bench. She was clearly emotional as a trainer put ice on her knee and did not return to the game.

There is some good news for UConn fans. After the game, head coach Geno Auriemma was optimistic about Bueckers’ injury and her status moving forward, according to Daniel Connolly of The UConn Blog.

“She’s pretty good… She’ll be fine,” Auriemma said, per Connolly. “She looks good. I’m optimistic.”

That report is good news for the UConn star, who has struggled with knee injuries throughout her career. During her sophomore season, a torn meniscus forced her to miss most of the regular season, even though she was able to return before the NCAA Tournament. Then, the following fall, Bueckers tore her ACL playing pickup basketball before the season and missed the entire 2022-23 season.

She returned in 2023-24 and led UConn to the Final Four, where it fell just short in a very close national semifinal against Caitlin Clark and Iowa. This season, Bueckers came into the season as unquestionably one of the best players in the country and the projected No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft next spring, and she has backed that up with a stellar season.

If Bueckers is indeed okay and doesn’t have to miss extended time, UConn will be able to take a sigh of relief and continue moving forward as one of the best teams in the country.

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