The reigning national player of the year, Paige Bueckers, has been cleared to return from injury for Friday’s game against St. John’s, UConn announced on Thursday.
Bueckers has missed 19 games since suffering an anterior tibial fracture and lateral meniscus tear on December 5 and undergoing surgery a week later.
She was averaging 21.2 points on 56% shooting, 5.5 rebounds and 6.2 assists through six games before the injury. UConn went 5-1 in those games, with the only loss coming to No. 1 South Carolina.
Bueckers’ return is much welcomed for a Huskies team that went 15-4 without her. Their five losses this season match their total number of losses over the last two seasons combined. A perennial national championship contender, UConn hasn’t won a title since a four-year streak from 2013-2016.
The Huskies have +750 odds to win it all this year, fourth-shortest behind South Carolina, Stanford and NC State.
She’s back pic.twitter.com/8qhUYBZium
— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) February 24, 2022
After Friday’s game, UConn closes the regular season Sunday against Providence. Then comes the Big East Tournament. Already locked into the conference’s No. 1 seed, UConn will get a first-round bye and begin play on March 5.