The University of Connecticut women’s basketball team is set to welcome back one of its most talented players. After a long break of 584 days due to a severe ACL injury, Paige Bueckers is returning to the court. The Huskies are currently ranked second nationally and will host Dayton at the XL Center in Hartford for the opening of their 2023-24 regular season.
Bueckers is the 2021 National Player of the Year and is an important player for the Huskies, she is their star point guard, playmaker, and just overall best player. Her comeback will give them optimism as they look to get back to the Final Four.
During a practice session, Bueckers paid tribute to another aspiring Husky, the late Gigi Bryant by wearing a shirt with an inspiring quote from Bryant: “WHEN YOU THINK YOU CAN’T UCONN.” This message emphasizes the determination of Bueckers.
Paige Bueckers rocking a Gigi Bryant shirt at UConn practice today 💛💜
She makes her return to the court tomorrow vs. Dayton after suffering an ACL tear in August 2022 🙌
(via @maggie_vanoni) pic.twitter.com/PAQQlg5Gfw
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 8, 2023
She appeared playing during UConn’s exhibition against Southern Connecticut State on Saturday. Bueckers showed her talent by recording seven assists in just ten minutes of play even after a recent left thumb injury limiting her playing time.
UConn’s Paige Bueckers opens up about the emotional impact of her ACL injury
Apart from her physical recovery, Paige Bueckers has also been managing the emotional toll of her injuries. In an interview with “SportsCenter,” the redshirt junior shared the mental and emotional challenges she experienced after the moment she found out about her ACL tear.
“Hiding my emotions was definitely hard,” she said. “As a team leader I was just trying to do everything I could to have a positive attitude about everything and make sure that every time I came into the gym, every time I came to practice, every time I came to rehab I had a great attitude, I had a smile on my face.”
From yesterday’s SportsCenter: 2021 national player of the year Paige Bueckers takes us through her ACL recovery, what it was like sitting out the majority of the past two seasons, and how she changed who she was to come back better than ever. Story + full convo drop Wednesday pic.twitter.com/DotqzpqJfi
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) November 6, 2023
Despite the challenge of hiding her emotions, Bueckers emphasized the importance of staying positive and supportive as a team leader. She stated that she always had a positive attitude whether she was at the gym, practice, or rehab.
Bueckers’s confidence has not been broken by her previous injuries, and she is motivated to make the most of her remaining time at UConn. Her official season debut is highly anticipated as the Huskies face off against Dayton at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday. Fans, teammates, and Bueckers herself are all hoping for a successful comeback season.