Geno Auriemma has given an update on Paige Bueckers and the injury she sustained against Villanova.

In the third quarter of UConn’s 83-52 win over the Wildcats, Bueckers appeared to dribble the ball off her right foot, with the star scrambling to regain possession of the ball. As she was doing so, Jasmine Bascoe dove for the ball, causing Buecker’s left leg to crumble under the weight of a defender on it.

After taking a few moments to compose herself while sitting on the court, Bueckers walked to the locker room in frustration. Bueckers did not return to the game, and while there were fears that the star guard might miss an extended period, Auriemma explained to reporters just how serious the injury was.

“Well, the ankle’s fine, the ankle’s fine,” he told reporters Tuesday. “I think the politically correct thing to say is a lower body sprain. If anybody can’t see through that, then they’re not paying attention. But no, her ankle’s fine. I mean, it’s sore, don’t get me wrong, it’s like her knee got twisted a certain way.

“Her ankle got twisted in a certain way. It was just an awkward thing. But we’re hoping that we have her back in a week.” Along with explaining Bueckers’ injury and a potential timetable for return, Auriemma likened the injury to a similar injury Azzi Fudd sustained earlier in the season.

Fudd sustained a minor knee injury in UConn’s win against Louisville and missed a handful of games as a result last month. “I’m glad I think I was right, because I said that for Paige, it was going to be kind of similar to what the scenario for Azzi was,” the legendary head coach continued.

Paige Bueckers suffered a scary leg injury against Villanova, though the injury is not as severe as originally thought

Bueckers suffered a scary leg injury against Villanova, though the injury is not as severe as originally thought ( 

Image:

X: @SNYUConn)

“It turned out to be pretty much the exact same thing, so I don’t really see it on video, the way the kid landed on the plane, so it’s a sprain, there’s nothing torn, there’s nothing crazy about it.” Auriemma’s message is similar to what he told reporters directly after the win against Villanova.

“She just had some ice on her right now and it’s like when I said about Azzi – these freaky things happen when somebody runs into you,” he said after the game. “So like when it was with Azzi, it’s not the worst thing that we can imagine. So that’s great news considering how awkward it was.”

Still Auriemma admitted that seeing Bueckers on the ground made him think “the worst” considering the star guard’s injury history. In the past, Bueckers has dealt with numerous knee injuries, including a torn ACL as well as a meniscus and tibial fracture as a member of the Huskies.

“That’s kind of like with everybody – you get shell-shocked,” the 70-year-old said. “I think everybody, whenever any of our players, something happens that looks a little bit awkward, it looks a little bit out of the ordinary, the immediate response is, I hope it’s not what it looks like.”