August 3, 2022
UConn superstar Paige Bueckers to miss 2022-23 season
Bueckers sustained an ACL injury Monday and will undergo surgery Friday
Misfortune has struck in Storrs. According to UConn, star player Paige Bueckers will miss the entirety of the 2022-2023 season after suffering an ACL injury on Monday.
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A press release from the team states that she “suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee” during a pickup game, and underwent an MRI Monday evening. She will undergo surgery at UConn Health on Friday.
On Instagram, Bueckers expressed the difficulty of the injury and already promised “one hell of a comeback.”
“We’re all devastated for Paige. She’s worked really hard to get stronger and healthier this offseason, and this is an unfortunate setback,” Coach Geno Auriemma said in the 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.”
Bueckers missed almost three months of last season due to an anterior tibial plateau fracture and lateral meniscus tear. She underwent surgery for that injury in December.
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Since the moment she set foot in Connecticut, Bueckers has sent shockwaves across the nation. Her freshman year she won the Naismith National Player of the Year Award, Wooden Award, and the Associated Press (AP) and ESPN player of the year awards. She was the first freshman to win the Wooden Award or Naismith National Player of the Year Award.
In her sophomore season, despite missing a slew of games, Bueckers averaged 14.6 points per game and led her team to a deep March Madness run, culminating in a loss to South Carolina in the Championship game.
Many eyes are on Bueckers and the current UConn program to see if they can bring home a title to the Storrs dynasty. Bueckers’ absence this season is a huge blow to the program and to women’s college basketball.
Written by Gabriella Lewis
Gabriella is The Next's Atlanta Dream and SEC beat reporter. She is a Bay Area native currently studying at Emory University.
