Paige Bueckers drops 2-word reaction as Kyrie Irving suffers season-ending ACL injury

The basketball world was stunned as Kyrie Irving tore his ACL in Monday's Dallas Mavericks vs. Sacramento Kings matchup. Despite the discomfort, Irving returned to shoot his free throws from the foul line, uttered three words, "Thank you, God," and made both before being subbed out. He went back into the locker room to further examine the injury.

UConn star Paige Bueckers, among many basketball fans around the world, took to social media to highlight Irving's resilience to finish the job. She shared the video of the incident on her Instagram story on Tuesday and captioned it:

"The realest."

Among many injuries suffered in her young career, Bueckers herself has recovered from a torn ACL that forced her to be sidelined for the entire 2022-23 NCAA season. So she knows how difficult Kyrie Irving's recovery journey is potentially going to be.

Paige Bueckers suffers injury in Final Four semifinal game Arizona vs. Connecticut in 2021 - Source: Getty

Irving exited the game after playing only nine minutes with seven points, one rebound and one assist. DeMar DeRozan and Zach Lavine combined for 42 points as the Mavs lost to the Kings 122-98.

Kyrie Irving sidelined for the remaining NBA season

Following the devastating incident, ESPN insider Shams Charania reported that Irving has been sidelined for the rest of the season. This news severely dented the Mavericks' hopes for any glory this season, as they had already lost Anthony Davis to injury, and now their star guard is also out for the season.

Paige Bueckers' fandom of Kyrie Irving

Paige Bueckers has been following Irving and has been a big fan of his over the years. Last year, during the NBA playoffs, Bueckers took to social media on multiple occasions to appreciate what Kyrie Irving was doing with Luka Doncic at the time.

"Luka & Kyrie mannnn," she wrote on X after Doncic and Irving combined for 55 points vs Clippers.

"Kyrie's locked in," Bueckers wrote on X after Irving dropped 35 points vs Celtics in the NBA Finals 2024 (Game 4)

Previously, Kyrie Irving has helped young talent like JuJu Watkins develop her game and add new skills to her bag.

Will the Mavericks be able to save face this season without Irving? How far is their ceiling without star talent like Irving and Davis on the bench? Let us know what you think in the comment section.