New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Cleared for takeoff
Bueckers gets nod from docs to play Friday after missing 10 weeks
UConn women’s basketball star Paige Bueckers is back.
After being sidelined for 10 weeks while recovering from December surgery to fix a tibial plateau fracture and a torn meniscus, Bueckers will be available to play Friday.
UConn made the announcement Thursday afternoon: “UConn women’s basketball sophomore guard Paige Bueckers has been cleared to return to game action and will suit up for the Huskies’ game vs. St. John’s on Friday.”
The sophomore fully participated in warm-ups Wednesday ahead of UConn’s game against Marquette. While Bueckers was dressed in full uniform she remained unavailable to play. Still, it was her first time going through warm-ups since December.
On Thursday, she met with team physician Dr. Robert A. Arciero. UConn coach Geno Auriemma, who previously said Bueckers was unlikely to play before the end of the regular season, opened the door for a return after the game Wednesday.
“After tomorrow, we’ll see what happens,” he said.
As it turned out, she was cleared by late Thursday. The timing allows Auriemma to ease Bueckers back into the lineup over the final two games of the regular season: St. John’s Friday, Providence Sunday.
It’s unclear how many minutes Bueckers will play after missing so much time. She rejoined the team at practice last week.
UConn (15-4 without Bueckers) will begin the postseason next weekend in the Big East Tournament, where it will start in the quarterfinals as the No. 1 overall seed on March 5. The first NCAA Tournament game will be March 18 or 19.
“It’s really weird when somebody comes back from an injury, how many minutes are they capable of playing not because of their injury, but because of their conditioning?” Auriemma said Wednesday. “How many minutes are they capable of playing? And should those minutes be in the beginning? Should they be spread out through four quarters? Should they be in the middle? When should they be?
“All these things you kind of
just play by ear and trust your intuition. I don’t think whatever decision is ultimately made is going be a bad one. If Paige is playing, then the rest will take care of itself.”
Bueckers last played on Dec. 5 against Notre Dame. Before she was injured, Bueckers was averaging a team-leading 21.2 points and 6.2 assists in 36.3 minutes per game over the first six games of the season.
She went down in the final minute of UConn’s game against the Fighting Irish. After bringing the ball upcourt, Bueckers appeared to hyperextend her knee during a jab step. She was able to dribble a few more feet before collapsing in front of the Huskies’ bench where was unable to put weight on her left leg and was carried to the bench by two teammates.
On Dec. 13, Bueckers underwent surgery at UConn Health to repair an anterior tibial plateau fracture and a lateral meniscus tear. While the 5-foot-11 guard was originally diagnosed with the fracture and there was no initial report of the meniscus tear before the surgery.
Over the 10 weeks that followed, Bueckers spent time rehabbing and recovering both on crutches and with a knee brace.
“It’s just something in life; there are going to be peaks and valleys,” her father, Bob Bueckers, told Hearst Connecticut Media in January. “She’s been at the highest of highs and, after she got the injuries, probably the lowest of lows. Overall, I think she’s handled it well. I know she’s had some tough days. But that’s expected. With an injury sometimes it’s equally hard physically and emotionally, how you deal with it. She seems to be in a good place, but every day is different.”
After being UConn’s most vocal and animated bench presence, Bueckers returned to practice Feb. 16. The sophomore was limited during her first day back but was able to run up and down the floor a few times with the rest of the team.
“Oh my gosh, she’s finally back,” sophomore Nika Muhl said. “It’s just too good to see her and her confidence getting back … yeah, we’re all happy for her. As Azzi (Fudd) said once, we’re going to be a nasty team when she comes back.”
Last season, Bueckers became the first freshman to win the Wooden Award, the Naismith Trophy, the AP Player of the Year and the USBWA Player of the Year awards. She led UConn with 20 points and 5.8 assists per game.
Prior to her injury this season, Bueckers had only missed one game in her Husky career due to sitting out UConn’s game against Georgetown on Jan. 23, 2021 with an ankle injury. She had surgery during the offseason to repair the injury.