After the news broke on August 3rd that UConn’s Paige Bueckers tore her ACL, the women’s basketball team and its fanbase felt like they were watching last season’s antics on replay. Who can forget the Villanova game this past February where the Huskies lost their first conference game in nearly a decade? Bueckers was out with a tibial plateau fracture, and combined with other injuries amongst the team, UConn saw its first conference loss in 169 games. For a team so reliant on Bueckers’ talent, hard work and attitude, is it prepared to go an entire season without its star?
The short answer is yes, but it’s not going to be easy. After the loss to Villanova, head coach Geno Auriemma said, "Games have to be won; they're not preordained," and this will have to be the rally call for the Huskies.
Despite that loss, rising sophomore guard Azzi Fudd stepped up with 29 points against the Wildcats. The No. 1 ranked recruit, albeit playing in Bueckers’ shadow at times, continues to improve and solidify her place on the team. Last season, she was third on the team with an average of 12.1 points per game (14.8 in games without Bueckers playing)–and she wasn’t even playing at 100% with her lingering foot injury. Fudd also leads UConn in free throw percentage at 91.2 and she had 43 three pointers, another team high.
Although Fudd is a sophomore, she’ll need to become a leader this season as a guard and a teammate on Geno’s squad. If the only thing she is lacking in is experience, this will be the year that she can put it to rest.
Fudd isn’t alone in this pressure. There are three other guards that Connecticut has to choose from, it’s just a matter of when.
Perhaps one of the biggest questions is, how will graduate transfer Lou Lopez Sénéchal fit into this?
Lopez Sénéchal comes to Storrs from Fairfield University, and can play in both the guard and forward positions. Regardless, the Huskies will rely on her shooting. She shot north of 40% from deep the past two years at Fairfield, which is particularly impressive since she was the defense’s No. 1 priority. At 6’1”, this makes it easier for her to play up or down the court. Of course, combined with her overall experience of playing college basketball, Lopez Sénéchal is going to be a key veteran for younger players like Fudd or Caroline Ducharme to look up to; who have a year under their belts playing for Auriemma, but have a quarter the experience in the NCAA.
Junior Nika Mühl is the reigning 2022 Big East Defensive Player of the Year and will plan to keep that momentum going. Finding her strength in steals and rebounds, she’s an aggressive player who isn’t afraid to seize the ball. In the absence of Bueckers’ tenacity on the court, she will have to be on attack mode even more so than before. Mühl has the most experience on this UConn team in terms of years in Storrs, so it’s natural she will continue her leadership position among the Huskies. If she can balance her defensive style with some improved offense, Mühl will find herself on the floor more often than not, as the only true point guard left on the roster.
Another returning guard is 6’2” Ducharme. She’s back for her sophomore year after being named to the 2022 Big East All-Freshman Team. Ducharme wasn’t 100% last season, between a head injury and her left hip which has been causing her nagging soreness. She’s been recovering all summer after successful surgery on her hip, which is essential for both her and UConn’s season. Still, she will have catching up to do in terms of healing and workouts before the season’s initial tip off. After all, she was the No. 5 recruit in her class and will truly be able to let that shine once she is fully recovered and on the court. Ducharme averaged 9.8 points per game in the 2021-22 season, but that number ballooned to 14.8 when Bueckers was injured. Although she will need to improve her efficiency, her ability to keep the team afloat without Bueckers in the mix is critical for the Huskies’ success.
As of right now, Bueckers is expected to miss the 2022-23 season. She had successful surgery to repair her ACL on Aug. 9, but it’s too early to predict when she will be able to return to UConn’s lineup. Until then, the spotlight is on Fudd, Lopez Sénéchal, Mühl and Ducharme to be ready when they’re called in.
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