UConn women's basketball guard Caroline Ducharme will miss the rest of the season as she strives to fully recover from injuries, the school announced Tuesday.
The 6-foot-2 junior started the first four games of this season, averaging 4.0 points and 2.0 rebounds, but has not played since the Huskies' victory at Minnesota on Nov. 19.
"I have been working tirelessly with my medical team to make a full return to basketball after sustaining head and neck injuries," Ducharme said in a statement. "It has honestly been a frustrating process with many ups and downs. At this time, the difficult decision was made to take a step back and not play the remainder of the 2023-24 season so I can focus on my recovery full time."
Ducharme played in 31 games, starting 11, and averaged 9.8 points and 3.2 rebounds as a freshman in 2021-22, when UConn was national runner-up. However, she missed five games because of issues after contact to her head that season.
Last season, she dealt with continuing head/neck issues and a concussion. She was limited to 23 games and averaged 7.4 points and 4.1 rebounds.
Injuries continue to take a toll on the Huskies, as Ducharme is the fifth player on the 2023-2024 roster who was lost either before or during this season. Azzi Fudd, Ayanna Patterson and Aubrey Griffin are out with knee injuries, and Jana El Alfy is out with an Achilles injury.
"I am guided by my faith, my family, my UConn coaches and teammates, and my medical team and am so grateful to have the support of everyone around me," Ducharme said. "I'm confident that this is the best decision so I can continue to play the sport I love at UConn and professionally. "As hard as it is to be away from the court until the 2024-25 season, I'm always supporting my team and I can't wait to rejoin them on the court next season."
The No. 8 Huskies ripped Marquette 85-59 on Tuesday, then have a nonconference matchup with longtime rival Notre Dame, ranked No. 15, on Saturday.
