Paige Bueckers will miss the upcoming season after an MRI revealed that she tore her ACL earlier this week.
Prayers up to P ♥️ https://t.co/HwGekr3Hyr
— WSLAM (@wslam) August 3, 2022
According to a team statement released Tuesday, Bueckers suffered the season-ending injury during a team scrimmage on Monday. Her MRI on Tuesday confirmed the team’s worst fear. She will undergo surgery to repair her knee on Friday, and UConn will provide a recovery timetable after the procedure is finished.
“We’re all devastated for Paige,” Coach Geno Auriemma said. “She’s worked really hard to get stronger and healthier this offseason, and this is an unfortunate setback. Paige is obviously an amazing basketball player, but she’s a better person and teammate, and it’s really unfortunate that this has happened to her. We’ll miss her presence on the court, but she’ll do everything she can to still lead and help her teammates this season. Our program will support Paige through her healing process to help her come back better and stronger.
“It’s really like yin and yang.” Azzi and Paige cover SLAM 235.
— WSLAM (@wslam) November 30, 2021
Azzi and Paige cover SLAM 235: https://t.co/6RZHNWcIyP pic.twitter.com/wAabvFeLTx
The Huskies went 15-4 over the 19 games Bueckers missed after she suffered a torn meniscus injury. As a sophomore, Bueckers averaged 14.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. As a freshman, she swept the national player of the year awards after averaging 20.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game.
Bueckers is a two-time SLAM cover star; she graced the front page of SLAM 225 and SLAM 235 with her best friend and teammate, Azzi Fudd.
“It was a dream to play here, not even knowing what the future would hold—who I would play with, who I would play against,” Paige told SLAM. “Just me wanting to come here for school and to be able to do it with my best friend, it makes it so much better.”
PAIGE BUECKERS. The one and only.
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 29, 2020
The No. 1 HS player in the country covers SLAM 226: https://t.co/6swe8zwqPX pic.twitter.com/hElx8TH4gK
