“They finally get Azzi Fudd back and Paige Bueckers gets hurt”: NCAA analyst sympathizes with Geno Auriemma and UConn’s plight

Sports anchor and NCAA analyst Elle Duncan shared her thoughts on Geno Auriemma and UConn's potential after Paige Bueckers was sidelined due to a lower-body sprain. Duncan sympathized with the Huskies, claiming that Auriemma and Bueckers might need to burn sage to get past the recurring injury struggles.

However, the analyst voiced serious doubts about UConn’s ability to capture the 2025 NCAA championship. She pointed out lineup inconsistency and the Huskies’ losses to Notre Dame and USC, questioning the program’s stature as title contenders.

"The thing about UConn is, we just don't know, because they can't all stay on the floor at the same time," she said on the "Elle Duncan Show" (6:56). "All of the really big teams that are legitimate contenders have three players that they can really lean on...and UConn needs that with Paige, Azzi and Sarah Strong."

"But unfortunately, those three can't stay on the court at the same time. They finally get Azzi back and then Paige gets hurt. They had Azzi for a minute, she got hurt. So, I think it's just hard to tell."

Paige Bueckers' injury occurred during one of her most efficient outings of the season. She had 15 points on 7-for-11 shooting and a season-high nine assists at the time of her exit.

Azzi Fudd returned to the court after a year recovering from an ACL injury. As she found her groove in her fifth game (against Louisville) of the season, she suffered a knee sprain during the contest. She had 18 points in 18 minutes on 6-for-10 shooting.

While Fudd returned two weeks later against USC, the sharpshooter was limited to just eight minutes.

Geno Auriemma's take on the play that injured Paige Bueckers

Geno Auriemma shared his stance on the play that sent his star guard to the locker room during UConn’s game against Villanova on Sunday. Paige Bueckers was caught between a loose ball and a diving Jasmine Bascoe, spraining her lower body. Since then, fans on social media have questioned the nature of the play.

While Auriemma acknowledged the details that sparked fans' reactions, he claimed that the injury occurred purely in the spirit of the game and due to Bascoe’s effort to win the possession.

"It's in the heat of the moment," he said (3:10). "So, if you look back at it and you probably watched the video, you would go, 'Who had the best access to that ball?'"

"But, kids are kids you know, and they wanna win and they want to play hard. So, from what I could see, I didn't see anything other than a basketball play."

Paige Bueckers is expected to return within a week but will be sidelined for Monday’s game against Xavier.