Following a disappointing finish to a challenging 2021–22 season, UConn star Paige Bueckers enters her junior year with an added load of expectations as she looks to re-claim her spot as the best player in the country.
Bueckers, who won national Player of the Year as a freshman, missed 19 games last season after undergoing surgery in December to repair an anterior tibial plateau fracture and lateral meniscus tear. The extended absence kept the star guard from truly finding her footing upon returning, and while she still managed to lead the Huskies to another national championship game, the program fell short of its goal in a blowout loss to Dawn Staley and South Carolina.