Paige Bueckers Injury timeline: Tracking UConn guard's injury history before Elite Eight showdown

UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers has dealt with a plethora of injuries in her collegiate basketball career. She's a key player for the Huskies this season despite missing the entirety of last season due to a torn ACL. Let's take a look at her injury history.

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Paige Bueckers injury history

Paige Bueckers broke onto the scene in her freshman season at UConn, winning several awards, including the Wooden Award, the Naismith Trophy, AP Player of the Year, and USBWA Player and Freshman of the Year.

In her freshman season, Bueckers averaged 20.0 points, 5.7 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game. However, in her sophomore season, Bueckers was limited to 17 games and missed the entire following season.

On Dec. 5 in her sophomore season, Bueckers sustained a tibial plateau fracture and lateral meniscus tear in the final minute of the game. She repaired the fracture and tear on Dec. 13, 2021, and returned to the court on Feb. 25, 2022.

Heading into her junior season, Paige Bueckers tore her ACL in August 2022 while playing a pick-up basketball game before the season.

“I knew it was bad. I felt a pop. I’m not really sure if I heard it, but I felt it for sure,” Bueckers said via The UConn Blog. “I knew something was wrong."

Despite missing the entire season, it allowed Paige Bueckers to focus on her body, and coach Geno Auriemma reckons it made her much stronger.

"This is the most time she has spent working on her body, her mind, you know, just taking care of herself," he said, per USA Today.

"I think she's way ahead, and maybe that's what the year off did. It showed her if you want a long career. This is how you're going to have to go about it from here on out. Injuries or no injuries, it doesn't matter."

This season, Paige Buckers is averaging 21.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.2 steals. This season, the guard has been a key play for the Huskies, who play USC in the Elite Eight on Monday at 9:15 p.m. ET.

Bueckers will be returning to UConn for the 2024-25 season despite being eligible for the WNBA draft.

"I know everybody wants me to address the elephant in the room," Bueckers said to reporters. "Unfortunately, this will not be my last senior night here at UConn. I'm coming back."

Bueckers was projected to be the third overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft.