"I'm gonna cry": Fans left in shock as Geno Auriemma's UConn loses 21yr old star to potentially "career ending" surgery

It is another injury blow for Geno Auriemma's UConn Huskies as it was announced that sophomore Ayanna Patterson had undergone shoulder surgery on Monday. She will be out for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.

It marks the second time Patterson will miss a season due to injury. She previously redshirted the 2023-24 season due to a knee surgery. Although the 21-year-old forward was expected to be back early this season and she even participated in preseason activities, she reportedly hurt her shoulder during practice.

Hoops fans have come together to support Patterson, sharing supportive posts on X/Twitter and wishing her a quick recovery.

Here are some of the reactions:

"i’m gonna cry she doesn’t deserve another missed season," a worried fan wrote with a frowning face emoji.

"oh my girl this was the surgery that may be career ending but i hope if it’s possible she can come back from because she deserves to play basketball more at UConn," another fan posted.

"Just another small setback for a major comeback. Get well soon yanna," one fan said.

Here are a few more responses:

"I hope someday she’ll be able to get past all of the injuries so she can finally see some real game action…Wishing Yanna a speedy recovery," a user added.

"Setback for a comeback Yanna. Husky Nation has your back always," one fan tweeted.

"It never stops for this poor team, heartbreaking," another wrote.

The injury bug has been particularly tough on Geno Auriemma's team over the last couple of seasons. They have lost key players like Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd, and Ice Brady, and now they have lost Patterson again.

Geno Auriemma warned surgery possibility after Patterson's injury

Earlier this month, UConn coach Geno Auriemma had hinted that Patterson could require shoulder surgery when discussing her injury status.

"That poor kid can’t catch a break. She’s been trying to play through that shoulder problem that she has... There’s been an operation in her future, for sure," Auriemma said.

The Fort Wayne, Indiana native traveled with the team for the Baha Mar Women’s Championship in the Bahamas in November before the shoulder injury at practice derailed her plans to return to the court.

Although Geno Auriemma assumed it to be a minor setback at first, it appeared the injury was worse than initially thought and Patterson underwent surgery. She joined the Huskies as one of the top recruits in 2022. In her first year, she played 30 games and averaged 2.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per game.