The UConn Huskies will be without their star for the 2022-23 season.
Huskies junior guard Paige Bueckers tore the ACL in her left knee and will miss the entirety of the upcoming season, the team announced Wednesday.
"We're all devastated for Paige. She's worked really hard to get stronger and healthier this offseason, and this is an unfortunate setback," UConn women's basketball head coach Geno Auriemma said in a statement. "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."
Bueckers is no stranger to injuries, having suffered a meniscus tear and fracture in the same knee in 2021. That injury would cost her 19 of the Huskies' 36 total games. Despite missing more than half the season, Bueckers would come back and lead UConn to the National Championship game.
When she is on the court, the 20-year-old has proven to be the biggest star in college basketball -- racking up a list of accomplishments a mile long. As a freshman she won the Naismith Award, Wooden Award and AP Player of the Year, averaging 20 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.8 rebounds.
Without Bueckers, UConn will lean on sophomore guard Azzi Fudd and graduate forward Dorka Juhász, who combined to average 19.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game in 2021.
