The UConn Huskies had their hopes high in 2024-25, especially with Paige Bueckers returning for her fifth and final year. But they faced their first major setback when Azzi Fudd, who was supposed to be a key piece alongside Bueckers, was sidelined for the entire season due to a torn ACL. And just when the team was counting on Caroline Ducharme to complement their point guard’s playmaking, her return might also be uncertain, too- all thanks to her past injuries.

Azzi Fudd’s ACL and MCL injuries in March 2024 have kept her sidelined, and another guard’s benching could spell disaster for UConn. Ducharme has had a history of head and neck injuries that have haunted her throughout her career.

In the 2021-22 season, she missed five games due to a head injury. Forward to the 2022-23 season, and it was more of the same. Also, during the 2023 Big East Tournament, she suffered another head injury in a collision with teammate Aaliyah Edwards. Hence, she sat out UConn’s season opener with neck stiffness and later missed 13 games due to a concussion in January. She is still recovering from that.

According to Locked on UConn host Mark Zanetto, “Caroline Ducharme is a versatile guard-forward and is expected to be a key contributor if she stays healthy.” Zanetto emphasized how Ducharme’s ability to play on both ends of the court makes her an indispensable part of the team. 

“She has great positional versatility… a veteran presence that helps stabilize the team,” he added, “Obviously Caroline’s return is highly anticipated but she has had injury setbacks. So that’s another one not only with Az but also with Caroline, their health.” 

Without both Fudd and Ducharme, UConn could lose its offensive rhythm, which places more pressure on Bueckers to carry the team. As the UConn host puts it, “Their ability to stretch the floor with shooting can create off the dribble, which I think will be essential to take pressure off Paige and allow her to just attack.” Because of this chemistry, Bueckers is excited about Ducharme’s return to the court as expressed in the latter’s Instagram post from days back.

On Monday, Ducharme posted a series of snaps from the Huskies practice session while writing, “missed this 💙”. Most of the images showcased her shooting drill practice and conditioning. Bueckers was quick to reply, “It missed you.” Ducharme herself was also determined to make a comeback when she had to put a stop to her last season.

“I’m confident that this is the best decision so I can continue to play the sport I love at UConn and professionally. As hard as it is to be away from the court until the 2024-25 season, I’m always supporting my team and I can’t wait to rejoin them on the court next season,” she had said.

But despite injuries, whenever the 21-year-old has played, she’s shown her brilliance. During the 2021-22 season, with Bueckers and Fudd both injured, Ducharme stepped up and averaged 15.8 points over 15 games. In the 2023 season, she even put up a strong performance in the Big East Tournament. She is a player who can contribute, but only if she’s healthy. For the 2023-24 season, she’s played four games, averaging just 4 points per game, playing 14.8 minutes due to injuries. On the other hand, Fudd has a different perspective on her return.

Fudd will return to Connecticut in the next season as a graduate student, but she will not make any promises or predictions for herself or the team in the 2024-25 season. “I hate the ‘next year.’ We’re in this year, we’re in the moment. I want to live in the moment. So, I don’t want to do any talking about next year. I guess ‘next year’ is now this year. I don’t want to speak about next year. I want to be present. I want to live in the moment,” she told CBS Sports just days back. Notably, Huskies guard Aubrey Griffin is also down with ACL injury.

According to Huskies coach Geno Auriemma, Fudd, Ducharme, and Griffin remain in “various stages of disrepair,” and none of the players are expected to be available when UConn opens the season on November 3 against Fort Hays State. However, despite injuries, the expectations are high from the team. Auriemma knows that well.

“Last year, the entire season was about let’s make it to the NCAA Tournament and see what happens. This year, knock on wood, we’re not thinking, ‘Let’s just keep it afloat.’ I think our approach can be a little bit different. We can be more aggressive. We can experiment with more things. Last year we were very cautious and very defensive in everything that we did. So I think what we learned from last year is that we’re good enough to be as good as we need to be to put ourselves in a position to win a championship,” Auriemma said. Even Bueckers is also having a feel of it.

“There’s a lot of pressure, not getting a title at UConn and pouring everything into this one year. But I’ll just take it day by day and continue listen to Coach. I’m going to just have fun and enjoy it,” said Bueckers, who opted to return for a fifth year instead of entering the WNBA. However, if Caroline Ducharme remains out, who steps up to help Paige Bueckers lead this UConn team? 

Who can take Caroline Ducharme’s place?

One promising name is KK Arnold. She may be new to the team, but she’s already shown great potential. The ESPN’s No. 6-ranked recruit in the Class of 2023 started 33 of 39 games in her debut season. 

She averaged 8.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. Her ability to handle the ball and create plays will be essential in taking some of the pressure off Bueckers. The 19-year-old’s quickness or ‘incomparable pace’ rather, and court vision could help keep the offense moving and prevent opponents from focusing solely on stopping Bueckers. 

Plus, her standout moments in high school, like notching eight career triple-doubles, show she’s more than capable of contributing across the board. Because one thing we know is that the Huskies are hungry for a title. “What we learned from last year is that we’re good enough to be as good as we need to be to put ourselves in a position to win a championship,” said HC Geno Auriemma. 

So, will Caroline Ducharme manage to make a return? It’s hard to say. But UConn will certainly be holding their breath and giving their best shot to bag the title.