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UConn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma said that Paige Bueckers has a knee sprain, and is hopeful to get her back in a week, according to Alexa Philippou of ESPN.
It is a sigh of relief for Bueckers and the UConn women's basketball program. Bueckers left Sunday's game against Villanova after an awkward collision that caused the knee injury. It was a scary moment for Bueckers, who has already been through a torn ACL and recovered from the injury in the past. Auriemma compared the injury to the one that Azzi Fudd had earlier in the season, according to Philippou.
Bueckers will miss Wednesday's game against Xavier in Hartford, but there is hope that she will be able to return soon for the Huskies.
Given that Bueckers will likely miss a week at least, she could possibly miss the next three games for UConn. She surely will be out for the game against Xavier, as Auriemma noted. She will likely be out for Saturday's road game against Georgetown as well. The next game after that is up in the air, as the Huskies will take on St. John's on the road the following Wednesday. It will be worth monitoring reports to see if that is when Bueckers will make her return, or if she will wait for Sunday, Jan. 19 against Seton Hall to return to the court.
UConn women's basketball has the talent to win these upcoming games without Bueckers, so it should not come as a surprise if Auriemma and his staff prioritize the long-term health of their star player. Having Bueckers healthy for the stretch run and March Madness is more important than returning earlier than expected in January.
The Huskies are ranked No. 7 in the country as we progress through conference play. Losses to Notre Dame and USC might mean that UConn ends up missing out on a top seed in the NCAA Tournament come March, but there is still a ton of talent on the roster, especially if Bueckers is back healthy and playing at her best. Hopefully for the Huskies, that is not too far away.
