STORRS, Conn. -- UConn Huskies star Paige Bueckers suffered a left knee sprain Sunday against Villanova, coach Geno Auriemma told reporters Tuesday, adding that the team hopes to have her back on the court in a week.
Bueckers -- the 2021 national player of the year and presumptive No. 1 pick in April's WNBA draft -- was hurt late in the third quarter of No. 7 UConn's 83-52 blowout win over the Wildcats when she was diving after a loose ball and a Villanova player collided with her. She did not return to the game but finished the contest icing her knee and ankle on the bench.
Auriemma said Tuesday that nothing was torn and an MRI was not needed. He added that her ankle, also banged up on the play, is sore but "fine."
The diagnosis was relatively welcome news in Storrs, where the Huskies have experienced a rash of prolonged or season-ending injuries in recent years. Bueckers previously missed the entire 2022-23 campaign with an ACL tear and most of the 2021-22 season with a tibial plateau fracture and meniscus tear, all of which were also in her left knee.
But she played in all of UConn's 38 games last season and helped guide the program to its 15th Final Four in 16 years.
"Obviously you can imagine, I think she's pissed more than anything about having to miss any time at all," Auriemma said. "The thing that happens, I think, to a lot of athletes when they've been through something in the past, is the fear of 'Do I have to go through something again?' That's the initial reaction right away ... [but now] she's in great spirits."
Auriemma added that the exact timeline for Bueckers' return depends on how her body responds to rehab and how she's feeling mentally but said, "I think there'll be a day -- sooner, I think, rather than later -- where she goes, 'I'm playing' and that's all there is to it."
Bueckers leads the Huskies in scoring (19.9 points per game) and is averaging 4.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.1 steals per contest. She's 18 points from hitting 2,000 in her career and is on track to reach that threshold faster than any other player in UConn history.
UConn hosts Xavier on Wednesday and plays at Georgetown on Saturday.