Our Clients:

Field Level Media - Professional sports content solutions | FLM

Oct 24, 2023 5:06 pm

UConn star Paige Bueckers ‘better basketball player’ post-injury

Paige Bueckers is returning to a basketball court near you in 2023-24 after missing an entire season due to an ACL tear.

The UConn star won National Player of the Year honors as a freshman in 2020-21, when she averaged 20.0 points, 5.8 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game while leading the Huskies to the Final Four.

At Big East Media Day on Tuesday in New York, Huskies coach Geno Auriemma let the world know that Bueckers has only gotten better during her time away.

“Can she come back and be all that again? I think so,” Auriemma said. “Paige is a better basketball player now than when she was National Player of the Year.”

Bueckers’ last competitive game came in the 2022 national title game, where UConn lost to South Carolina. The following summer, she suffered the devastating left knee injury during offseason workouts.

Bueckers called the injury a “blessing in disguise” on Tuesday because it “changed a lot (of) who I am.”

“Changing and building great habits now I think will help me in the long run,” Bueckers said, per SNY. “… Putting that UConn jersey on and going out there on the court and playing a game is just a surreal feeling. I never want to take it for granted.”

Bueckers jammed her thumb earlier this month, and Auriemma said she has only been practicing in a limited capacity, but he is not concerned for her availability to start the season.

On Tuesday, the guard was named a preseason All-American and the Big East Preseason Player of the Year. Her Huskies are the heavy favorites to win another conference title.

In 46 career games (42 starts), she has career averages of 18.0 points, 5.1 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals per contest.

–Field Level Media

You may also like

jake sanderson
Apr 3, 2025 9:57 pm

Senators hold off Lightning, inch closer to playoff berth

Defenseman Jake Sanderson hit double figures in goals for the second straight season, and the Ottawa Senators bolstered their playoff chances by ousting the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on…

magic
Apr 3, 2025 9:55 pm

Paolo Banchero’s big performance sends Magic past Wizards

Paolo Banchero scored 33 points and grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds while leading the Orlando Magic to a 109-97 win over the host Washington Wizards on Thursday. Banchero made 11…

bucks
Apr 3, 2025 9:41 pm

Giannis Antetokoumpo’s 35-20-17 night powers Bucks past 76ers

Giannis Antetokounmpo put forth a monster triple-double with 35 points, a career-high 20 assists and 17 rebounds to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 126-113 victory over the host Philadelphia…

More News News

jake sanderson
Apr 3, 2025 9:57 pm

Senators hold off Lightning, inch closer to playoff berth

Defenseman Jake Sanderson hit double figures in goals for the second straight season, and the Ottawa Senators bolstered their playoff chances by ousting the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on…

magic
Apr 3, 2025 9:55 pm

Paolo Banchero’s big performance sends Magic past Wizards

bucks
Apr 3, 2025 9:41 pm

Giannis Antetokoumpo’s 35-20-17 night powers Bucks past 76ers

cincinnati wes miller
Apr 3, 2025 9:39 pm

Darius Johnson’s 31 power UCF past Cincinnati in Las Vegas

dylan holloway
Apr 3, 2025 9:23 pm

Blues C Dylan Holloway (lower body) exits vs. Penguins

Read all
fb-post
advertisment
title-icon

Upcoming events

See all odds