After 584 days, Harry A. Gampel Pavilion gave Paige Bueckers a heat welcome again as UConn tipped off the 2023-24 season in opposition to Dayton on Wednesday night time. The faculty basketball star went by means of the powerful journey of recovering from an ACL harm, however she is able to reintroduce herself.
“Pleasure. Overwhelming pleasure simply to be again on the courtroom enjoying with my women,” Bueckers mentioned on the postgame radio present after the Huskies cruised to a 102-58 victory.
Her first factors in an official sport since 2022 got here from a driving layup lower than two minutes into the sport. She hit the ground however bought proper again up. Understandably, Bueckers was a bit rusty, however she nonetheless completed the night time with eight factors, seven rebounds, 4 assists and one steal.
Coach Geno Auriemma said at halftime that Bueckers began the sport, forcing some issues as a result of she was somewhat too anxious. Nonetheless, he thinks she is doing an amazing job slowly working herself again in.
After the sport, Bueckers additionally mentioned she understands persistence can be vital.
“Clearly, I am not ignorant sufficient to assume it will be a linear trajectory in the way in which that I will come again” Bueckers mentioned on the postgame radio present. “I am not going to come back again and be the identical Paige that I used to be earlier than. It should be a course of. There are going to be highs and lows, however simply to be again on the courtroom is one thing I’m extraordinarily grateful for.”
Bueckers had an outstanding freshman season, profitable 11 main honors throughout the 2020-21 marketing campaign — together with the Picket Award, Naismith Trophy, and AP Participant of the Yr. Nonetheless, she ended up lacking 19 video games throughout her sophomore 12 months after having to endure surgical procedure for an anterior tibial plateau fracture and a lateral meniscus tear on her left leg.
When she returned her sophomore season, Bueckers was not one hundred pc her outdated self, however she nonetheless helped the Huskies attain the nationwide title sport. Nonetheless, wanting again at it, Bueckers admitted that possibly she returned too quickly. This time, she determined to spend extra time understanding the science behind accidents, getting stronger with pilates, and having religion that all the things will work out in her favor.
“A part of me thinks it was God calling me to make use of this,” Bueckers mentioned in a current ESPN interview. “I really feel like I am simply gonna have an amazing story to inform by the top of it.”
Even earlier than the season’s first sport, Auriemma had already mentioned he feels assured Bueckers can be turning heads once more this 12 months.
“Paige is a greater basketball participant now than she was when she was nationwide participant of the 12 months,” Auriemma mentioned late October.
