Geno Auriemma’s Azzi Fudd Nightmare Returns as His Paige Bueckers’ Injury Update Gives UConn Fans Sigh of Relief

There is something malicious in the air in Storrs. The UConn Huskies boast some of the best players in all of women’s college basketball but somehow they keep getting injured. Some would blame the coach for keeping Paige Bueckers in longer than needed in that game against Villanova when UConn was clearly leading. But then, it was a different case with Azzi Fudd, who already missed the season opener, only to injured again in December.

After Bueckers’ ended up on the floor with Villanova defender Jasmine Bascoe landing on her leg, the redshirt senior left the game with an apparent ankle/ knee injury. But Auriemma said it was “fine” and she should be expected in the lineup soon. Now, the head coach has another update.

Journalist Avery Becker posted to X, “Geno Auriemma on Paige Buecker’s injury: “The starting lineup will be a little different tomorrow….for Paige it was gonna be similar to the scenario Azzi had, and it turned out to be the same exact thing.” Bueckers has a lower body sprain.”

Meanwhile CT Insider’s Maggie Vanoni wrote on the platform, “Geno Auriemma says Paige Bueckers has a knee sprain. Nothing torn or seriously damaged. Her ankle is fine but sore. He’s hoping she’ll be back in a week. He says she wasn’t involved in drills this week. He adds it’s a similar situation to what Azzi Fudd had in December.”

In any case, it has to be a nightmare scenario for Auriemma, who was finally hoping to get his hands on a trophy after a long drought. He finally has all his best players back, not to mention the addition of freshman Sarah Strong, but Fudd and Bueckers getting injured was not on his bingo card.

The fact that Bueckers’ injury is similar to Fudd’s, both of whom sprained the same knee they had their ACL tears in might make the coach, and fans, imagine the worst. But for now, it seems like that has been abated. When Bueckers returned to the bench after her injury, she had a towel over her face to hide her tears of frustration.

But as Avery Becker said in another X post, revealing what her coach has said of the projected No. 1 Draft Pick on Tuesday, “She’s in great spirits.” And thank the basketball gods for that, because Auriemma knows just how much harder it would be if anything more serious had happened, just like he knew with Fudd. But the UConn junior is finally back.

Geno Auriemma knew the holiday break would benefit Azzi Fudd

While the UConn Huskies lost a tough game to the USC Trojans in December, fans also breathed a sigh of relief as Azzi Fudd returned to the court after missing three games. Although her role was limited, coming off the bench for just 8 minutes and going 0-4 from the field, Fudd herself must have breathed a huge sigh of relief to finally return to the game instead of just watching from the sidelines.

But afterward she also had a chance to rest in the then-ongoing holiday break, which coach Auriemma knew would only benefit her. When asked if her participation in practice had increased, he answered, “Certainly more so than she was the other day.A couple of practices isn’t really going to get you ready to play, so I think getting away and giving it an extra four or five days… I think all that, mentally, makes her a little more comfortable knowing that there has been enough time for it to be 100%.”

One of the biggest motivating factors, Auriemma had said previously, would have been the doctor’s report that said despite her sprain in the same knee she had surgery on was not complicating her recovery. Now all the team can hope for is that the same is the case for Bueckers because while she won’t play tomorrow, it’s not season ending. Or in her case, college-basketball-career-ending, unless she chooses to stay on the circuit for a 6th year.