UConn basketball's Paige Bueckers out 6-8 weeks with broken leg bone

Dec. 7 (UPI) -- UConn guard Paige Bueckers, the reigning women's basketball Player of the Year, sustained a tibial plateau fracture in her left leg and is expected to miss up to two months, the school announced Tuesday.

Bueckers suffered what the Huskies called a non-contact knee injury in the final minute of a 73-54 win over Notre Dame on Sunday in Storrs, Conn.

UConn's initial diagnosis was a hyperextension, but the school said an MRI and CT scan revealed the fracture. Bueckers' estimated time of recovery is 6 to 8 weeks.

The break occurred within the tibia, also known as the shinbone, which is the second-largest bone in the leg. The top of the tibia includes the lower part of the knee joint. A tibial plateau fracture occurs when the break involves the knee joint.

"Obviously, we're all extremely disappointed for Paige and that she suffered this injury," Huskies coach Geno Auriemma said in a statement Tuesday. "It would be really hard to describe how much basketball means to Paige and how much her teammates mean to her.

"Her not being able to do the thing that she loves to do, to be there for her teammates, is really difficult for her. We've had players get injured in the past and my philosophy here is, I'm not interested in how fast we can get someone back; I'm interested in what's best for them long term."

Auriemma said the school will "prioritize" what is best for Bueckers and her career.

Bueckers, a sophomore, scored a game-high 22 points Sunday in Storrs. She also totaled five steals, four assists and four rebounds.

She averaged 21.1 points per game over her first six appearances this season. She averaged 20 points per game in 2020-21.

The Huskies (5-1) face Georgia Tech (6-2) at 7 p.m. EST Thursday at McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta.