Paige Bueckers injury update: UConn star (lower-body sprain) returning vs. St. John's after two-game absence

UConn star Paige Bueckers, who was out with a "lower-body sprain," will be back with the Huskies when they play St. John's on Wednesday night. The program made the announcement on social media a few hours before the game.

Bueckers missed games against Xavier and Georgetown last week, but as UConn coach Geno Auriemma predicted, her injury did not keep her out too long. He said there was no tear and compared it to the injury that sidelined Azzi Fudd earlier this season.

Bueckers' injury happened Jan. 5 against Villanova following a scary collision. Late in the third quarter, she dribbled the ball off her own leg and chased after it near mid-court. As she bent down to pick up the ball, Villanova's Jasmine Bascoe dove for it and rolled up Buecker's leg, which bent awkwardly. 

Bueckers grimaced as she rolled around in pain and clutched at her knee. She eventually limped off the floor under her own power and went to the locker room. Though she later returned to the bench, she did not return to the game. 

The incident was particularly scary for Bueckers because she has dealt with extensive injury problems throughout her career. Among them are multiple major issues with the same knee she injured most recently, including a tibial plateau fracture during her sophomore season and a torn ACL that cost her the entire 2022-23 campaign.

Bueckers, a leading contender for Naismith Player of the Year, is averaging 20 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals per game on 56/41/81 shooting splits. She leads the Huskies in scoring, is tied for second in assists and is their best outside shooter. Before this latest injury, she had scored or assisted on 178 of the team's 477 field goals this season (37%).