Paige Bueckers injury history: UConn star overcame major injuries in college
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USA Today's Meghan Hall previews the women's Final Four teams that will be heading down to Tampa to compete for national championship.
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Before Caitlin Clark became a national sensation, Paige Bueckers was touted as the next big thing in women's college basketball.
In the now-historic 2020 recruiting class, Bueckers ranked as the No. 1 prospect according to ESPN's HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings, over Angel Reese, Cameron Brink and Clark. Before playing collegiate basketball, Bueckers had already won three gold medals with USA Basketball.
Bueckers showed off her abilities with a 40-point performance vs. Oklahoma in the Sweet 16. She is the fastest player in program history to reach 2,000 career points (102 games) and scored 1,000th in her 55th career game, which tied Maya Moore as the fastest Huskies player to reach the milestone.
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Bueckers arrived in Storrs, Connecticut, in 2020, hoping to bring the Huskies their first national championship since 2016. Bueckers can immortalize herself in UConn history with two more wins. The Huskies take on No. 1 UCLA in the Final Four at 9 p.m. Friday at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.
While Bueckers has had a great career and is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft, fans ― especially UConn women's basketball fans ― might have "What if" questions around what could have been for Bueckers' career due to the injuries she has sustained.
Here's a look at Bueckers' injury history:
Paige Bueckers injury history
Sophomore season
In her freshman season, Bueckers did not disappoint, averaging 20 points on 52.4% shooting, 5.7 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game. In the COVID-19-shortened season, she shot 46.4% from 3-point range in 28 games. Bueckers swept the National Player of the Year honors. Despite the shortened season, she set the freshman record for program assists with 168.
Heading into her sophomore year, the expectations for Bueckers were sky-high. However, injuries limited Bueckers to 17 games. On April 30, 2021, she underwent ankle surgery to repair an osteochondral defect, joint damage involving the bone and cartilage. She was cleared to play in October.
But her luck did not improve with injuries. She suffered a tibial plateau fracture and a lateral meniscus tear on Dec. 5 with 40 seconds remaining in a 73-54 win. She had to be carried off the court by her teammates. Bueckers returned for the NCAA Tournament, scoring 15 of her 27 points in the Elite Eight to help the Huskies beat NC State to reach their 14th straight Final Four. UConn, however, fell to South Carolina in the national championship game.
Redshirt junior season
On Aug. 3, 2022, ahead of what was supposed to be her junior season, UConn announced that Bueckers had torn the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left knee while playing pickup basketball at the Huskies' practice facility. The school announced that she would miss the entirety of the 2022-23 season.
"We're all devastated for Paige. She's worked really hard to get stronger and healthier this offseason, and this is an unfortunate setback," head coach Geno Auriemma said in a 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. Our program will support Paige through her healing process to help her come back better and stronger."
Bueckers returns to form
Despite the injuries, Bueckers has returned to full health in the last two seasons. She is the projected No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft, and despite having another year of eligibility, Bueckers is headed to the pros.
Bueckers averaged 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists during her redshirt junior season, leading the Huskies back to the Final Four after a one-year hiatus. UConn fell to Clark and Iowa in the national semifinals last season. Despite being projected as a top-three WNBA draft pick, Bueckers opted to return to UConn for the 2024-25 season.
This season, Bueckers has averaged 20.1 points, 4.8 assists and 4.4 rebounds. Over her last three games, Bueckers has scored 71 points over her last two games and has 105 points over her previous three games, the most by a UConn player in its history over a three-game span.
Paige Bueckers stats
Here's a look at Bueckers stats in her time with UConn:
2020-21: 20.0 points on 52.4% shooting, 5.7 assists, 4.9 rebounds, 2.3 steals per game in 29 games (28 starts)
20.0 points on 52.4% shooting, 5.7 assists, 4.9 rebounds, 2.3 steals per game in 29 games (28 starts) 2021-22: 14.6 points on 54.5% shooting, 4.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.5 steals per game in 17 games (13 starts)
14.6 points on 54.5% shooting, 4.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.5 steals per game in 17 games (13 starts) 2023-24: 21.9 points on 53% shooting, 5.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.4 blocks per game in 39 games (39 starts)
21.9 points on 53% shooting, 5.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.4 blocks per game in 39 games (39 starts) 2024-25: 20.1 points on 54.3% shooting, 4.8 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 0.8 blocks per game in 36 games (36 starts)
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