Paige Bueckers. David Butler II-Imagn Images

Paige Bueckers' Gesture Toward UConn Teammate After Alarming Incident

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Max Escarpio | Last updated May 9, 2025 11:42 AM ET

The UConn Huskies are fresh off a national title victory, led by Paige Bueckers and arguably the best head coach in women's college basketball history, Geno Auriemma.

While Bueckers has held the spotlight for the Huskies over the past several years, recent headlines surrounded the journey of Caroline Ducharme, fresh off her fourth season at UConn.

As Maggie Vanoni at CT Insider explained, Ducharme has been dealing with concussion symptoms over the past few years, plaguing her development.

Her father, Todd Ducharme, recently spoke on the support Caroline has received after working through her first wave of concussion symptoms in 2022.

"It was great to have her friends and Paige (Bueckers) come down and visit. So, that was helpful, but it was hard,” said Todd Ducharme. "... Forget (basketball) at this point. For Chrissy and I, it was like basketball was the last thing on our minds. Great if it happened, great if it didn't. We finally saw her personality back."

Caroline Ducharme never thought she'd play again after multiple concussions within 22 months

But thanks to hyperbaric treatment, she returns to UConn women's basketball for one more season

"You never really think that that's gonna happen to you.”https://t.co/xTt2I66GP7
— Maggie Vanoni (@maggie_vanoni) May 9, 2025

As Todd Ducharme mentioned, Bueckers and her teammates have been there to support Caroline, who has been working through a recovery process that included multiple concussions in 22 months.

"On top of her daily work inside the chamber, Ducharme worked with a team of specialized physicians and therapists from Aviv, including a trainer, a physical therapist, a neuropsychology team, a dietitian and a medical team," Vanoni explained.

Ducharme returned to the court late in UConn's 86-47 win over Butler on Feb. 22. She went on to appear in eight more games in the 2024-25 season, including two minutes in the national championship game.

Now, she plans to return next season for one final run with the Huskies.

While Bueckers has been vocal about her support for the UConn family, much of the attention for the No. 1 overall pick turns to her rookie season in the WNBA.

After four years with the UConn Huskies, Bueckers will look to bring the championship pedigree to the Dallas Wings, who host the Minnesota Lynx in their season opener on May 16.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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