VILLANOVA, Pa. — Over the past few years, Geno Auriemma has witnessed an abundance of “freaky” injuries.
When UConn standout guard Paige Bueckers suffered a knee injury late in the third quarter while chasing a loose ball, he wished this wouldn’t turn out to be yet another one of those situations.
The initial reports regarding the severity, as stated by the Hall of Fame coach, were promising.
“The news, from what you can gather, wasn’t bad,” Auriemma stated following the 83-52 win against Villanova on Sunday. “Let’s phrase it that way.”
Bueckers scored 15 points and provided nine assists prior to her injury. The injury happened in the same knee where she tore her ACL in 2022. UConn has faced numerous injuries in recent years, often struggling to assemble a fully healthy roster. The Huskies continue to be without a few players this season — Caroline Ducharme (head), Ayanna Patterson (shoulder), and Aubrey Griffin (torn ACL).
“In recent years, when events occur, you instinctively shake your head and attempt to avoid the worst thoughts,” he stated. These children are eager to play. They adore playing above all else, and we are gradually removing each person from the game, one at a time. “You can’t foresee certain aspects of this.”
Bueckers was attempting to retrieve a loose ball when Villanova’s Jasmine Bascoe lunged and collided with the All-Americans’ left knee, forcing it to bend uncomfortably.
The redshirt senior remained on the court for a minute before hobbling away. She visited the locker room before coming back to the bench a few minutes afterward with ice applied to her knee. She chose not to re-enter the game.
“Auriemma mentioned that she currently had ice on it.” “It’s similar to what I mentioned about Azzi (Fudd); these bizarre occurrences that take place when someone collides with you.” Similar to what happened with Azzi, it wasn’t the worst outcome we could envision. “That’s fantastic news given how uncomfortable it was.”
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