Geno Auriemma jokes how Paige Bueckers’ absence is like “Christmas Day”: “We banned her from practice”

Geno Auriemma heaved a sigh of relief after Paige Bueckers avoided serious injury in the UConn Huskies' 83-52 victory over the Villanova Wildcats over the weekend. The UConn coach was in a joking mood on Tuesday when talking to reporters in a media briefing ahead of the Huskies' showdown with Xavier, sharing the things that happened with Bueckers during practice.

Bueckers injured her left knee with 1:17 remaining in the third quarter. The incident occurred when Villanova guard Jasmine Bascoe collided with Bueckers after diving for a loose ball. Bascoe's weight fell on the UConn star's knee during the mad scramble, causing it to bend back awkwardly.

Bueckers sat on the Finneran Pavilion court for about a minute as she endured the pain. She later limped off, with her Huskies teammates and coaches looking worried. The good news for Auriemma is that Bueckers' injury isn't long-term, with the UConn guard diagnosed with a left knee sprain. She wasn't allowed to participate in the Huskies' practice session.

"No, we banned her from practice," Auriemma said (Timestamp 4:44). "So she was in the training room, looking in through the window, and that was it. For me, it was like Christmas Day."

Auriemma smiled as he explained why Paige Bueckers' absence from practice was like a Christmas present for him.

"Everybody nodded their heads yes when I said something," Auriemma said. "Nobody rolled their eyes. Nobody had their own team huddle and told the guys what to do."

"She does these things to get on my nerves because she knows it bugs me so I didn’t have to deal with that today."

Geno Auriemma compares Paige Bueckers' latest knee injury to Azzi Fudd's

Geno Auriemma also shared in the pregame press conference that Paige Bueckers' injury was similar to the one Azzi Fudd picked up during UConn's game against Louisville on Dec. 7. Fudd missed three games after spraining her right knee while trying to fight through a screen in the 85-52 win over the Cardinals.

UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (#5) attacks the defense of Marquette guard Halle Vice (#22) during the first half of their NCAA game on January 1, 2025 at the Al McGuire Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Photo: Imagn

Auriemma sees a similar timetable for Bueckers' return after the senior guard got her knee twisted in the game against Villanova. He made it clear that there are no torn ligaments and it is just a sprain for Bueckers, who could return to action next week for the Huskies.