UConn women's basketball fans breathed a sigh of relief after Huskies coach Geno Auriemma announced the timeline for star guard Paige Bueckers' return. Various sports media outlets quoted the 11-time national championship-winning coach as saying Bueckers suffered a knee sprain and hoped she's back in action in a week.
Bueckers, who is averaging 19.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.1 steals in 15 games, sustained the injury on a loose ball when Villanova guard Jasmine Bascoe rolled over her left leg, causing her to be in pain for several minutes.
She walked to the locker room for treatment and returned to the sidelines, but didn't enter the game again. Auriemma noted the injury was similar to what guard Azzi Fudd suffered last month. The red-shirt junior sustained a minor knee sprain and was out for two weeks.
Paige Bueckers would be out for at least three games and fans were relieved to learn the development as their top guard avoided a major injury.
"Bullet dodged phew!!! Her and Azzi literally copying each other all the time," a Huskies fan commented.
"Glad to hear it wasn’t more serious! Need that girl out there playin," another college hoops enthusiast added.
"For those who saw this play happen this is literally such good news. Could have been so much worse," another user posted.
"Best news ever," a fan said.
Other fans wanted Paige Bueckers to take a respite and be back fresh for the NCAA Tournament.
"Don’t rush Paige. Take your time take all the way to the NCAA tournament!," one fan wrote.
A few fans were worried about her injury history, believing it could carry over to the WNBA draft where teams would likely avoid her due to her health issues.
"Just like Zion... injury after injury. Who would want her? Her career is over. She play few games, then injured... over and over again," a fan wrote.
"I just wanna know is she truly the number 1 pick cuz the way Olivia has been playing idk," another user posted.
UConn coach Geno Auriemma said there was no tear on her ankle but noted it got twisted awkwardly. The Huskies will have to figure out who will start while Bueckers is sidelined as their guard rotation isn't deep.
UConn game schedule benefits Paige Bueckers' recovery time
UConn is set to have a relatively easy schedule beginning with the game against Xavier on Wednesday. The Musketeers, who lost to Creighton (82-54), Georgetown (64-41) and DePaul (65-60), are 0-3 in conference play and 5-9 overall.
After the Xavier game, the Huskies will meet Georgetown (8-6, 1-2 in Big East) for the second time this season on Jan. 11. The Hoyas won over Xavier (64-41) but fell to UConn in their first encounter 79-44 and Seton Hall 74-71.
UConn will be back in action on Jan. 15 when it tackles St John's (10-4, 0-3 in Big East). The Red Storm hasn't won in conference play, falling to Villanova (71-57), Creighton (75-56) and Providence (59-52) in its first three matches.
If Auriemma is right and Paige Bueckers will be back to action by next week, it would be in time for a marquee clash against Seton Hall on Jan. 19. The Pirates have yet to lose a Big East game as of Tuesday and are 12-3 overall.
Will UConn perform well in the next three games without Paige Bueckers? Let us know your insights in the comments section.
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