What happened to Caroline Ducharme? Know more about Paige Bueckers' UConn teammate's injury and availability
Caroline Ducharme, who has been injured for a year, made her return for UConn when she came on for the final minutes of their 86-47 victory over Butler Bulldogs on Saturday.
The guard spent over 15 months recovering from a head and neck injury but finally made her 2024-25 season debut in front of an excited crowd.
The joy of having Ducharme back on the court was obvious when the crowd roared as she pulled on a headband, with a teammate also giving her a hug.
"It's been a long time coming for her. She's been through a lot," Huskies coach Geno Auriemma said after the game.
"It's crazy. It brings you to tears because of everything she's been through and everything she has overcome and how much work she's put into it," senior guard Paige Bueckers also lauded her returning teammate after the game.
Ducharme came on for the final two minutes and 21 seconds of the game, managing one rebound for the No. 5-ranked UConn Huskies, in what was her first game since November 2023.
Caroline Ducharme has had to overcome challenges at UConn
During her freshman year in the 2021-22 season, Ducharme was relegated to a bench role, although she got more playing time when starting guard Bueckers injured her left knee.
The junior guard was expected to play a bigger role in the 2022-23 season after guard Christyn Williams left the team. However, injuries once again disrupted her plans.
She missed UConn’s home opener against Northeastern and later suffered a concussion in January 2023, forcing her to sit out 13 games.
Her struggles continued in the 2023 Big East Tournament when she collided with teammate Aaliyah Edwards during a game against Georgetown. The impact caused another head injury, forcing her to leave the game early.
After a couple of months in recovery, UConn made the tough decision to shut her down.
Despite the setbacks, Ducharme stayed determined, working her way back to help the team in a season that they have been dominant yet again. The Huskies are 26-3 overall and 16-0 in the Big East where they rank first.
UConn can secure another outright Big East regular-season title with a win over No. 23 Creighton on Friday at XL Center.
With two regular-season games remaining, followed by the Big East Tournament and March Madness, the guard will hope to make some solid contributions.