UConn women’s basketball star guard Paige Bueckers sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee and will miss the 2022-23 season, the school announced Wednesday.
Bueckers sustained the injury during a pick-up basketball game on Monday. The 2021 Wooden Award and Naismith Trophy winner underwent an MRI later that night which confirmed the severity of the injury.
Bueckers will undergo surgery on Friday at UConn Health in Farmington, Conn.
“We’re all devastated for Paige,” Huskies coach Geno Auriemma said in a release. “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.”
The injury to her left knee is the second one in eight months for Bueckers, who underwent surgery on Dec. 13 to repair an anterior tibial plateau fracture and torn lateral meniscus. She was injured on Dec. 5 during a victory over Notre Dame.
Bueckers averaged 14.6 points in 17 games last season.
She averaged 20.0 points, 5.7 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 2.3 steals in 29 games during her freshman season.
–Field Level Media