Paige Bueckers injury: UConn star out for season in devastating update

UConn Huskies star Paige Bueckers suffered an ACL tear during a pickup basketball game and will miss the 2022-23 women’s season.

The 2021 Player of the Year who missed much of last season with injuries will not get a chance to avenge UConn’s national title game loss this coming season.

Paige Bueckers tore her ACL this week, UConn announced on Wednesday, and will miss the 2022-23 season as a result.

It all happened while she was playing a pickup basketball game on Monday. An MRI confirmed the damage.

Paige Bueckers injury: UConn star out for season in devastating update

“We’re all devastated for Paige,” head coach Geno Aurriemma said in a statement. “She’s worked really hard to get stronger and healthier this offseason, and this is an unfortunate setback. 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 won just about every possible Player of the Year award after her outstanding freshman season, helping to lead UConn to the Final Four.

She had to undergo ankle surgery ahead of her sophomore campaign and ran into more injury trouble when she suffered a tibial fracture in December. Following successful rehab, she returned to the lineup ahead of the NCAA Tournament and pushed her team to the championship game against South Carolina.

Though the Huskies lost that game, optimism was high looking ahead to next season because Bueckers would be fully healthy and ready to lead the charge again. Instead, she’s been hit with another bout of misfortunate.