Paige's Return; The Huskies' Adversity Fueled Season

Paige Bueckers warmed up with her team for the first time since December 5th before the Marquette game on Wednesday. Jessica Hill/AP. 

The No. 7 UConn Huskies have added an eleventh player to their lineup. The reigning National Player of the Year, Paige Bueckers, has been medically cleared for tonight’s game against St. John’s. Bueckers played in the first six games this season before suffering an anterior tibial plateau fracture and lateral meniscus tear on December 5th.

Without Buckers for the past nineteen games, it will be captivating to see if Coach Geno Auriemma puts the sophomore point guard into tonight’s game. Auriemma had mentioned in a post-game conference that it was unlikely that she would return in the regular season. Bueckers led the team last season in scoring, assists, and steals. 

Bueckers met with Dr. Robert Arciaro Thursday morning and was cleared to officially participated in contests. While Bueckers has only missed being on the bench for one game, as she was recovering from surgery, her energy on the sidelines has been quite the morale booster for her teammates.

“About a month ago, she walked in to athletic training room and she had a big swollen knee and everybody said ‘this is not good,’ and ‘this is going to set you back a long time,’” Auriemma said. “And she came back two days later and it was gone. I said, ‘what happened?’ and she said, ‘I’m different. I told God I needed the swelling to go down, and it went down.’

19 games. It has been 19 games since Bueckers last played for UConn. For fans far and wide, that feels like a lifetime. In her freshman season, Bueckers started all but one game. The 5’11 guard had twenty-eight consecutive double-digit scoring games, three of those games were thirty plus back-to-back games.

 Bueckers was carried off the court by teammates Amari DeBerry and Evina Westbrook after her non-contact injury in the Notre Dame game on Dec. 5th. Stephen Slade/UConn Athletics.

Bueckers had set new records for this dynasty program that already had a number of records in its history. She became the record holder for the freshman with the most assists at 168 on the season. Bueckers also set the UConn single-game assist record with 14 against Butler on February 27th of last year. The previous record was a tie for 13 assists in a single game by Susie Sturman (’89-90), Laura Lishness (’90-91), and Renee Montgomery (’08-09).

On December 5th, Bueckers suffered a non-contact injury in the last minute of their Notre Dame game. It just happened, as do many injuries in college sports. No one is to blame, not even Paige herself. The injury occurred on its own. Bueckers had surgery on her knee a week later. The adversity for the team began here as Bueckers was not the only player to miss the next few games for the Huskies.

Sophomore Nika Mühl was placed in a boot for an ongoing ankle injury. Freshman and No. 1 recruit, Azzi Fudd, was also placed on the injured list with an ongoing foot injury. From eleven to nine players in just one week, the Huskies were tasked with relearning plays with a limited number of available players. They had four days to accomplish this task.

The next few games were not easy. The Huskies would go on to lose to, then, unranked Georgia Tech and a close loss to No. 4 Louisville. Who stepped up in this time of need? Freshman Caroline Ducharme took on the role of leading the team some hard-fought losses and well-earned victories. Ducharme and senior Christyn Williams began averaging 12 ppg, now at 14.9 ppg.

Ducharme became that key player Auriemma could put his full trust into. Actually, Auriemma had to put his trust into the rest of the lineup. Every player has stepped up in those 19 games, including the four losses. While Ducharme led in scoring, other players led in assists, steals, blocks, and rebounding.

Paige (far right) is seen giving encouragement to her teammates on Dec. 5th. Stephen Slade/UConn Athletics. 

Eventually, Mühl and Fudd became available again in January. The Huskies were provided with three weeks of no contests due to Covid protocols. Mühl was added back to the starting lineup and Fudd made her first career start against DePaul in their nail-biting win on January 26th. Fudd is currently averaging 14.8 ppg and has been a prominent leader in scoring on the arch.

Now, these were not the only players to be held down with injuries or missed games. Williams tested positive for Covid before the Oregon game on January 17th and would have to miss the next two games after that. Ducharme got struck in the head in two close games [DePaul 1/26 and Creighton 2/2]. She missed the next four games due to a head injury. Graduate student Dorka Juhász also missed two games with a minor foot injury but was back in action quickly. Senior Olivia Nelson-Ododa was scratched from the starting lineup before the Villanova game after feeling sick. She ultimately had a groin strain and missed three games.

One might ask what else could be thrown at UConn to add to their stroke of bad luck this season. They have found success recently and are currently back on a five-game winning steak. On Wednesday, the Huskies were crowned the Big East regular-season champions over Marquette with a 69-38 win. While Juhász was struck in the face, Auriemma is sure of Juhász staying in the lineup after receiving stitches during the trophy presentation.

The question on Paige’s return: where will she place in the lineup? The school has not released if Bueckers will be on limited minutes per her return to play. This would be obvious that she could be, as many of returning injured players were restricted. As Bueckers has advanced through her conditioning and rehab, easing her into the game would make sense. Auriemma told reported that Bueckers had only begun team practices on February 16th after focusing primarily on individual work.

Auriemma mentioned that people should not expect to see the same Bueckers as they did last season or in her first six games this season. Bueckers is learning and training to play with a different momentum. The lineup has changed ten times for this team already and disrupting it again before the conference championship may not be Auriemma’s list of things to do. The lineups really do not determine much. How a given player competes is different for every game.

The UConn bench cheered on their teammates in their winning game over Tennessee on Feb. 6th. Meg Kelly/UConn Athletics.

Where is the best place for Bueckers to be placed? The starting lineup is a no-go. Depending on the opponent, the pace of the game is quick, and Bueckers is reported to be behind in running. Azzi Fudd was not up to game speed in running and had her return date pushed back a few weeks. Fudd was training but the ability to keep pace is important for any team. Bueckers, assuming, may have setbacks but she has the clearance to do compete.

As a guard, Paige would have to replace three of the team’s leading scorers. Fudd is averaging 14.8 ppg, with Ducharme and Williams at 14.9 ppg. Auriemma, speaking on minutes now, has found a way to earn each player minutes. Each player averages more than five, Williams averaging at 35.5. Williams, Mühl, and Evina Westbrook have all taken over the missing key in Bueckers’ role in the point guard position.

How do you add Bueckers in but not take away from her teammates? Minutes will continue to increase and decrease for any given player. Recently seen, freshman Amari DeBerry (averaging now 6.6 mpg) and sophomore Piath Gabriel (5.2 mpg) have earned more minutes coming off of the bench. Gabriel has developed into a stronger post player and Deberry has been working hard to be that needed utility player they need. Sophomore Aaliyah Edwards' move into the starting lineup has brought out a different player we saw at the beginning of the season. She averages 24.2 minutes per game. Everyone will keep their responsibilities and positions, minutes will be determined game-by-game.

With Bueckers having just a week’s worth of team practices, how would the team dynamic change in games? The UConn Huskies have shown season after season they have one of the greatest dynamics working together. How does the addition of Bueckers change everything? Game after game, journalists and commentators reported on how much the team relied on Buckers offensively.

In their recent game against Marquette, any interesting statistical report appeared. With Bueckers, UConn’s record was 5-1, only losing to South Carolina and have been 15-4 without her. The teams' points per game are relatively the same; 74.5 with, 73.4 sans (without) Bueckers. The field-goal percentage is wider; 51% with, 47% sans. For 3-PT percentage; 34% with, 33% sans. Assists per game; 19.0 with, 18.4 sans.

Bueckers' return could mean limited to no playing time as she returns to the team's available lineup. Zach Bolinger/Getty. 

There is a possibility Paige Bueckers could earn some minutes tonight. The amount is unknown as it has not been reported if she is on limited minutes. Auriemma has stated she may not play in the rest of the regular season games, now down to tonight and Sunday. Come tournament time, is it wise to play Bueckers? If more time at the practice can bring Paige to a game-ready pace, it is potential maybe that she earns more minutes. Bueckers will not be at the same level as she was previously, in the early season or last year. She could excel and contribute in other ways with assists, rebounds, and points here and there. It is not expected, at this time in her training, that steals and fast-break attempts would be wise.

With this inconsistent season, the Huskies have shown through the adversity in key games (sans Bueckers). On February 6th, UConn (ranked 10th) shut down Tennessee (ranked 7th at the time) without Ducharme, Bueckers, and DeBerry (not injured just did not play). Those who did play held the Lady Vols to 28% FG and 20% 3PT scoring with only 14 turnovers. UConn played their best defense grabbing a team total of 38 rebounds with 18 assists, 7 blocks, and 5 steals.

The Huskies have proven (sans Bueckers) that they can battle through anything with losses as learning opportunities. Though she was on the bench, Bueckers was learning by watching her teammates play through the never-ending, but almost over, adversity. While her stats percentages may decrease if she plays, having Bueckers on the court will only add to the Huskies' strengths in different aspects. With all of this being said, fans are supportive, with wariness, of Paige’s clearance to play and be reminded that she may or may not get any playing time. Medical clearance is one thing, the coaches’ playing her is another.

*Another note to add is the transfer of freshman Saylor Poffenbarger to Arkansas and Mir McLean to Virginia. This was mentioned in my previous article. Junior Aubrey Griffin is also out this season due to her back surgery on Jan. 10th and will not be joining the team this season. 

The UConn Huskies moved up three spots to No.7 in the Associated Press rankings after a four-game win streak following the loss to Villanova. They are ranked first in the Big East Conference and were named the Regular Season Champions on Wednesday evening. With Selection Sunday close, the current mock-brackets have moved UConn to different seeds and regional locations. The Huskies play at the XL Center against St. John’s at 7 pm tonight.