Paige Bueckers suffers torn ACL and will miss the 2022-23 women's college basketball season

University of Connecticut women's basketball player Paige Bueckers tore her left ACL and will miss the 2022-23 college basketball season.

This is the same knee she suffered an anterior tibial plateau fracture and lateral meniscus tear during her sophomore season.

The junior guard's injury happened during a pick-up basketball game, and she underwent an MRI Monday evening to confirm the injury. Bueckers will have surgery on Friday at UConn Health.

"We're all devastated for Paige," Geno Auriemma, UConn head coach, said in a statement. "She's worked really hard to get stronger and healthier this offseason, and this is an unfortunate setback. Paige is obviously an amazing basketball player but she's a better person and teammate and it's really unfortunate that this has happened to her. We'll miss her presence on the court, but she'll do everything she can to still lead and help her teammates this season. Our program will support Paige through her healing process to help her come back better and stronger."

Bueckers missed 19 of UConn's 36 games her sophomore season.

She signed a multi-year NIL deal with Gatorade last year, becoming the first college athlete to represent Gatorade. Bueckers is a former No. 1 player in her high school class and a John R. Wooden Award winner in 2019-20, becoming the first freshman to win the honor.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UConn's Paige Bueckers suffers torn ACL, will miss 2022-23 season