UConn star guard Paige Bueckers suffered a torn cruciate ligament in her left knee and will miss the 2022-23 season, the institution announced Wednesday.
Bueckers injured his knee in a casual game, the statement said, and an MRI later that night confirmed the torn ACL. The statement did not say where Bueckers was playing when the injury occurred.
He will have surgery Friday at UConn Health in Farmington, Connecticut. An update on your recovery schedule will be available after the procedure.
“It’s so crazy because you work so hard to get healthy again, you feel stronger than ever and you’re playing your best basketball and with one sudden move everything changes,” Bueckers wrote on Instagram.
He added: “Prayers and love mean a lot to me and doubts that I won’t go back to where I was can mean even more. God put a dream in my heart and even if I have to go through a nightmare to understand it, I will continue to believe.” .
Bueckers was the consensus 2020-21 National Player of the Year, becoming the first freshman to earn that honor and helping UConn reach the Women’s Final Four. She missed 19 games last season after suffering a tibial fracture and torn meniscus in early December, but she returned to help lead the Huskies to the national championship game, where they lost to South Carolina.
“We’re all devastated for Paige,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “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.” .
“Her presence on the court will be missed, but she will do everything she can to lead and help her teammates this season. Our program will support Paige through her healing process to help her come back better and stronger.”
Information from The Associated Press was used in this article..
