College basketball fans reacted to a video that showed a different angle of how close UConn guard KK Arnold was from saving her teammate and Huskies star Paige Bueckers from injury.
During Monday's game between UConn and Villanova, Wildcats guard Jasmine Bascoe crashed into Bueckers' left leg, which bent awkwardly. Bueckers limped off the floor under her power and went to the locker room.
She returned to the bench minutes later but did not play anymore. UConn won 83-52.
A video posted on Instagram showed Arnold could've gone for the loose ball but stopped and allowed Bueckers to get entangled with Bascoe.
Some fans thought Arnold should have dove for the ball to avoid such a collision.
"As a teammate she should, bc that was unnecessary and the ball wasn't that loose. Paige already lowkey had it," a fan wrote.
"i had the same reaction," another fan said.
"Dramatic a** players really get on my nerves," one fan commented.
Others blamed Bascoe for hitting Bueckers and accused her of doing it intentionally. One fan asked if she's the daughter of Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green.
"Should have been a Flagrant foul; she was out of control and injured a player," one fan said.
"Is that Draymond Green daughter," a fan wrote.
"Yeah... that last roll that actually went into her knee kinda looks intentional... not saying it was, but it does appear to be," one fan commented.
After the game, UConn coach Geno Auriemma expressed hope that his ace player would not spend a long time on the shelf as this is a critical stage of the season where teams play their conference foes. A loss could be costly for a team's chances to reach March Madness.
Geno Auriemma to update UConn fans on Paige Bueckers health status on Tuesday
Geno Auriemma and the Huskies coaching staff didn't give any update on Paige Bueckers' injury. Per CT Insider, there was no email or any information regarding her status that was released on Monday.
The Huskies will be back in action on Wednesday against Xavier and if there's a development, Auriemma will share it on Tuesday during the press conference ahead of the game against the Musketeers at 1 p.m. ET.
There's a possibility that Bueckers wouldn't suit up for the game and UConn would focus on dumping the ball to freshman forward Sarah Strong or be an outside shooting team with shooters Azzi Fudd, Kaitlyn Chen and Ashlynn Shade waiting on the perimeter.
Last season, UConn had a depleted roster due to injuries but worked its way to make the Final Four. If Bueckers misses time, it'll be a test for her teammates if they can step up and produce wins until she returns.
Dawn Staley, Geno Auriemma, or Kim Mulkey - who is NCAAW's highest-paid coach? Find out here