May 2, 2021
UConn’s Paige Bueckers has surgery on ankle, expected to be ready for the 2021-22 season
By Zack Ward
The reigning AP Player of the Year had a preexisting osteochondral defect
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Paige Bueckers had a phenomenal 2020-21 season, winning AP National Player of the Year as a freshman and leading UConn to the Final Four.
However, there was one scary moment when she rolled her right ankle against Tennessee on Jan. 21 and nearly had to miss a crucial ending to that game. Bueckers got her ankled wrapped and made a dagger 3-pointer with 25 seconds left to lead UConn to victory, but missed the following game against Georgetown. She was fine the rest of the season but on Friday had ankle surgery to fix an osteochondral defect that was there before she rolled her ankle.
Bueckers should be available when preseason workouts begin for UConn in September. The Huskies are returning their core from last year: Bueckers, Christyn Williams, Olivia Nelson-Ododa, Evina Westbrook, and Aaliyah Edwards. They have also added Ohio State transfer Dorka Juhász, who averaged 14.6 points and 11.1 rebounds last year, and bring in No. 1 HoopGurlz recruit Azzi Fudd.
Fudd will be joined by other talented 2021 recruits Caroline Ducharme (No. 5), Amari DeBerry (No. 15) and Saylor Poffenbarger (No. 30), the last of whom joined the team early and played in 12 games this past season.
Bueckers averaged 20 points, 4.9 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 2.3 steals in 2020-21.
