UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma addressed the status of star guard Paige Bueckers following the ACL injury that sidelined her for the entirety of last season.
Auriemma described the 21-year-old as being at “90%” physically in terms of her recovery but indicated Bueckers is expected to be fully ready by the start of the season.
“If she’s not ready to go [by the start of the season], then I’m not ready to go. Let’s put it that way,” said Auriemma while speaking to reporters at his annual charity golf event in Hartford, Conn.
Bueckers’s collegiate career has been derailed by injuries. Despite being limited to just 17 games as a sophomore and missing all of last year, Auriemma indicated that the Huskies’ star remains motivated and in great shape.
“This is the best she’s ever been, the strongest she’s ever been, the fittest she’s ever been,” said Auriemma of Bueckers. “This is the most time she’s spent working on her body, her mind, just taking care of herself … I’ve never seen her better either at playing one-on-one, two-on-two, three-on-three, what she’s doing in the weight room.”
Across 46 games in her college career, Bueckers, who will be a redshirt junior in 2023–24, is averaging 18.0 points, 5.1 assists and 4.5 rebounds.
