The UConn Huskies obtained some optimistic information on Tuesday after star guard Paige Bueckers didn’t return following a clumsy collision in Sunday’s sport in opposition to Villanova.
In response to ESPN’s Alexa Philippou, Bueckers has a knee sprain that will solely preserve her out for one week.
The sprain occurred to Bueckers’s left knee, which is identical knee she suffered a torn ACL to in 2022. Thankfully, head coach Geno Auriemma instructed reporters on Tuesday that nothing was torn.
That is when the damage occurred late within the third quarter of Sunday’s sport with the Huskies main, 63-37.
The analysis needs to be a sigh of reduction for this system. Bueckers was sidelined the whole 2022-23 season with the ACL tear after lacking a lot of the 2021-22 season with a tibial plateau fracture and meniscus tear. Every of these accidents have been in her left knee.
If the Huskies are going to make their sixteenth Ultimate 4 look within the final 17 seasons, the well being of the 2021 Nationwide Participant of the Yr and sure No. 1 choose within the 2025 WNBA Draft is paramount.
Bueckers is the workforce’s main scorer with 19.9 PPG. She additionally places up a median of 4.3 RPG, 4.0 APG, 2.1 SPG and shoots an environment friendly 55.9% from the ground. With 1,982 profession factors in 100 video games, Bueckers solely wants 18 factors to change into the quickest participant in UConn historical past to attain 2,000 factors, which might surpass Maya Moore’s document of 108 video games.
With no ranked opponent on UConn’s schedule till No. 16 Tennessee on Feb. 6, the Huskies (13-2, 4-0 Large East) have greater than sufficient expertise to win their upcoming video games in opposition to Xavier (5-9, 0-3 Large East) on Wednesday and Georgetown (8-6, 1-2 Large East) on Saturday.
Contemplating freshman ahead Sarah Robust (17.5 PPG) is the one different participant averaging double-figure scoring on the workforce, UConn will need to have its star on the courtroom if it’s going to be a critical contender and make one other deep NCAA Match run.
