Head coach Geno Auriemma revealed Sunday that star Paige Bueckers is considering surgery on the tibial plateau fracture in her left knee she sustained last Sunday versus Notre Dame.
If she opts for surgery, it would essentially reset the clock for Bueckers’ six to eight week recovery timeline, and she could potentially return in mid- to late-February, assuming there are no setbacks with her recovery.
“She needed to solicit a couple other opinions,” Auriemma said after the No. 3 Huskies beat UCLA 71-61 in the Never Forget Tribute Classic. “And then the next step is, there’s either going to be surgery or there’s not going to be surgery. And that’s got to happen relatively soon. Yes or no.
“I think anytime there’s a fracture, that means there’s something that has to be fixed, and you let it be fixed by time or you need to go in there and fix it. So I think by the next couple of days, hopefully we’re gonna have a definitive answer.”
Should Bueckers opt for surgery, she’d miss UConn’s entire remaining nonconference slate, including matchups versus Oregon (Jan. 17), South Carolina (Jan. 27) and Tennessee (Feb. 6).
The Huskies’ schedule around the time Bueckers could return features conference games against Marquette (Feb. 13), Xavier (Feb. 18), Georgetown (Feb. 20), St. John’s (Feb. 25) and Providence (Feb. 27). UConn then starts tournament play with the Big East Tournament and NCAA Tournament.
Alexa Philippou can be reached at [email protected]