UConn believes Paige Bueckers avoided worst-case scenario with injury

UConn believes that Paige Bueckers avoided the worst-case scenario when she suffered an apparent left knee injury in the win over Villanova on Sunday, according to Geno Auriemma. 

“It's not the worst thing that we can imagine,” he said. “So that's great news considering how awkward it was.” 

Bueckers went down at the 1:17 mark of the third quarter when a Villanova defender dove into her left leg while going for a loose ball. She fell to the court clutching her left knee but got up and walked off the court under her own power. Bueckers went into the locker room and was visibly emotional when returned to the bench. She watched the remainder of the game from the sideline. 

“She feels — I'm sure like anybody else would — pissed, probably more than anything,” Auriemma said. “But the news, from what you can tell, was not was not lousy. Let's put it that way.” 

It’s the same knee that Bueckers suffered a tibial plateau fracture and lateral meniscus tear in 2021-22 and a torn ACL in 2023-24. Those injuries have limited her to just 100 of 157 possible games since she arrived in Storrs in the fall of 2020. 

This season, Bueckers has averaged a team-high 19.9 points on 55.9 percent shooting to go with 4.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.1 steals.