The UConn women’s basketball team was burdened by injuries throughout the 2021-22 season, from Paige Bueckers missing 19 games with a knee injury to Dorka Juhász fracturing her wrist in the NCAA Tournament.
Head coach Geno Auriemma gave an update on the health of Bueckers and Juhász, as well as Aubrey Griffin and Caroline Ducharme, at the UConn Coaches Road Show at Two Roads Brewing Company on Tuesday night.
“At this time of year, it’s do your rehab, you get a little better today than you were yesterday,” Auriemma said. “There’s no actual basketball, so it’s just taking care of their bodies. Right now you don’t really ask them too much and just let them do their thing. But it’s painful to watch sometimes.”
While Juhász, Griffin and Ducharme are currently rehabbing, Auriemma said Bueckers “is good.” She returned to action on Feb. 25 and played the rest of the season. She recently was able to spend some time at home and will be back on campus along with the rest of her teammates on June 1.
Forward Aubrey Griffin missed her entire junior season in 2021-22. She first dealt with ankle and knee issues and later had to have surgery for a disc injury in her back. Of the three players rehabbing, she’s expected to be the first back in action.
“Aubrey’s doing a little bit of this and a little bit of that, but not a lot of anything,” Auriemma said. “For Aubrey it’s been forever, so hopefully sometime this summer we’ll see something.”
Ducharme is currently on crutches after having surgery on her left hip in late April to repair an injury lingering from high school. Juhász still has a cast on her wrist.
“For Caroline, it’s at least until August. Dorka, probably very similar,” Auriemma said. “So they’re really the ones that are long term, so no rush, you know, nobody’s in a hurry to get back to a game. So everybody’s good.”
