Over the weekend against Notre Dame, No. 3 UConn lost its starter Paige Bueckers to a non-contact injury. Bueckers was dribbling up the court against the press with 40 seconds remaining in the game when her left leg gave in. Despite trying to continue up the court, the sophomore guard crumbled to the ground. She was eventually carried off the floor by her teammates. The Huskies announced today Bueckers has sustained a fracture in her knee which will have her out 6-8 weeks. Yesterday’s MRI and CT scan showed a tibial plateau fracture.
“Obviously, we’re all extremely disappointed for Paige and that she suffered this injury,” stated head coach Geno Auriemma in a statement. “It would be really hard to describe how much basketball means to Paige and how much her teammates mean to her. Not being able to do the thing that she loves to do, to be there for her teammates, is really difficult for her. “We’ve had players get injured in the past and my philosophy here is: I’m not interested in how fast we can get someone back; I’m interested in what’s best for them long term. Every decision made will prioritize what’s best for Paige and her career. Everyone involved with this program will be there to support Paige through her healing process.”
This season Bueckers has been averaging 21.2 points per game, 6.2 assists per game, 2.7 steals per game, 5.5 rebounds per game, and 36.3 minutes.
