Bueckers returned for the first time in more than two months after dealing with a knee injury that required surgery for the No. 7 UConn’s blowout 93-38 win over St. John’s on Friday night at the XL Center.
Bueckers came off the bench, and dropped eight points while shooting 4-of-5 from the field in her 13 minutes. The Huskies held a 17-0 lead before Bueckers even entered the game.
Bueckers still received a massive standing ovation upon arrival, and then hit a buzzer-beater to end the first quarter.
Bueckers sustained an anterior tibial plateau fracture and a lateral meniscus tear in the final minutes of their game against Notre Dame on Dec. 5. She was carried off the floor after the non-contact injury, and needed surgery. Bueckers hadn’t played since.
The Huskies struggled without her, too. They fell to Georgia Tech in their next game before dropping a battle with then-No. 6 Louisville the next week.
Now, though, UConn is in a much better place. Their team is now nearly fully available and healthy after multiple other injuries, and Bueckers is gearing back up. With their season finale on Saturday against Providence and the Big East tournament looming, coach Geno Auriemma knows they’re in a great place.—Agencies
