Less than two seasons into the league, Paige Bueckers has already established herself as one of the best players in the WNBA. A storied career that began during her high school days eventually led to a spectacular career for the UConn Huskies.
But during her time in the program, she suffered a disastrous injury that could have derailed her entire career. In a tell-all interview, the former Rookie of the Year went into detail about her experience and her struggles with mental health during the entire process.
The Grief That Paige Bueckers Had to Overcome
Boring in Edina, Minnesota, Bueckers established herself as a high school sensation, ranking as the number one recruit in her class nearly unanimously. Choosing to go to the UConn Huskies, she took the entire collegiate landscape by storm.
Becoming the first freshman to win national women’s player of the year, she played a key role in the program reaching the Final Four. That’s when her bad luck with injury began, which derailed almost her entire sophomore campaign.
A surgery on her right ankle caused her to miss most of the offseason before a tibial plateau fracture during the year, leading to roughly 12 weeks of recovery time on the bench. Still, she returned before the NCAA Tournament and helped the team to the National Championship game.
But the worst was yet to come. During a pick-up game in the offseason, Bueckers tore her ACL, which caused her to miss the entire 2022-23 season. And it also brought forward one of the darkest periods in her life.
Making an appearance on the “Bird’s Eye View” podcast with WNBA legend Sue Bird, Bueckers revealed how scary the initial days after the injury were. “When I first tore it, I had anxiety. I had panic attacks because I didn’t know who I was outside of basketball.”
But she wasn’t the only one who couldn’t figure out a life without basketball. After dedicating her life to the sport and building a massive fan base and connection, the departure from the norm was extremely jarring to her.
“When I went through my ACL, it was after like the first two years where I was so seen and so public and so in the light. When I tore my ACL, I just felt so isolated and alone. I felt like I was forgotten, like I wasn’t important anymore. Everything surrounding basketball, I lost my identity.”
Ultimately, though, it was the history of women’s basketball that gave her support and belief. “It is a devastating injury, especially in women’s sports. It’s so common. But to know that it is common and people come back, and you can use it as a tool to make you better.”
As a result, she was also able to overcome one of her biggest fears when the injury first happened, as she revealed, “And really find a lot about yourself outside of basketball.”
Going a step further, she also had a heartfelt message drawing from her own journey for anyone else going through a difficult time.
“So for people to feel seen, appreciated, and know that they’re not alone. I’ve been through this. So many players have been through this, and having inspiration and people that I have seen come back from it meant the world to me when I was coming back. Like, it is possible.”
And “possible” is something Bueckers proved in dominant fashion upon her return. Winning first-team All-American honors in her final two years at UConn, she also led the team to another Final Four berth before ending her collegiate career with a national championship.
Averaging the highest career scoring average in UConn history, she was drafted by the Dallas Wings as the overwhelming choice for the first overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, before winning the Rookie of the Year award.
Additionally, she has already been named to two All-Star games and an All-WNBA second team, and has continued to improve in virtually every facet of her game. Despite the heartbreak from the injury, Bueckers has persevered and cemented herself as one of the best players in the world.
