UConn star guard Paige Bueckers is expected to be ready for the start of the 2023 season, coach Geno Auriemma said Tuesday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Bueckers tore her left ACL last August and missed the entire 2022-23 season. She was limited to only 17 games the season prior after tearing her lateral meniscus, requiring surgery.
- Aueriemma said Bueckers is “90 percent” recovered from the injury.
- Bueckers averaged 20 points, 5.8 assists and 4.9 rebounds a game as a freshman. She earned All-American honors and was named the consensus player of the year in college basketball.
- The Eden Prairie, Minn., native was ESPN’s No. 1-ranked player in the 2020 class and the national high school player of the year.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
What does Bueckers’ return mean for UConn?
It’s hard to overstate just how significant the return of a healthy Bueckers should be next season. The last time she played for the Huskies, she led UConn to the 2022 National Championship, showcasing her elite playmaking on multiple occasions en route to the title game. While the Huskies lost Lou Lopez Sénéchal and Dorka Juhász to the professional ranks, they still enter next season as the No. 2 team on The Athletic’s Way-Too-Early Top-25 list.
They do so not only because of…
