When UConn’s Paige Bueckers went down with a knee injury last Sunday, the initial hope had been that last year’s National Player of the Year had suffered a mere hyperextension. Instead, she may be pursuing surgical options to repair her knee.
According to a report by Katie Barnes of ESPNW, UConn head coach Geno Auriemma stated Saturday that Paige Bueckers is considering knee surgery to repair the tibial plateau fracture she suffered late last Sunday in a win over Notre Dame. Should Bueckers pursue surgery, she would be out longer than the original 6-8 week timetable anticipated for her return.
“She needs to solicit a couple other opinions,” Auriemma said. “And then the next step is there’s either going to be surgery or there’s not going to be surgery. And that’s gotta happen relatively soon. Yes or no.”
In a blowout win over Notre Dame, Bueckers was dribbling upcourt when her leg buckled as she attempted to plant it, and she had to be carried off the court by teammates. A five-star recruit and last season’s AP and Naismith Player of the Year, Bueckers had been averaging 21 points per game entering last Sunday.
The absence of Bueckers has already had a noticeable impact on the Huskies’ women’s team. In their first game without her, UConn lost 57-44 to unranked Georgia Tech, ending a streak of 239 consecutive games without a loss to an unranked opponent. The team would bounce back on Saturday with a 71-61 victory over UCLA.
In the event that Bueckers gets surgery, Auriemma noted that he would be looking at anywhere from mid-to-late February as a target date for her potential return.
