After two years on the sidelines, Ayanna Patterson happy to be playing basketball again

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After two years on the sidelines, Ayanna Patterson happy to be playing basketball again

Ayanna Patterson is supposed to be entering her senior year at UConn. She came to Storrs as part of the 2022 recruiting class and has been a member of the program for three seasons.

Little has gone according to plan, though. After playing in 30 games as a freshman back in 2022-23, Patterson missed the next two campaigns after undergoing season-ending surgery in back-to-back Decembers — first to fix patellar tendinitis in her left knee then to repair a dislocated left shoulder. As such, she still has three seasons of eligibility remaining as a redshirt sophomore.

That constant stream of adversity would’ve broken some players. But to her credit, Patterson did her best to limit the frustration by taking the setbacks in stride.

“I just have faith in God that at the end of the day, what it's meant to be, will be,” she said. “God just presented himself to say I needed that extra break, just go ahead and shut it down, take time and listen to your body.”

Now, Patterson hopes to put the injury troubles behind her. She’s since recovered from the shoulder surgery and was a full participant during summer workouts. Patterson was fully cleared in May and began contact work once she arrived in Storrs for the month of June.

As she prepares for the upcoming season, Patterson understands the extended layoff has taken a toll on her game. So instead of trying to get it all back at once, she’s keeping expectations in check by setting easily-attainable goals.

“At the end of the day, my biggest thing was getting out to play on the basketball court,” Patterson said. “My personal goal is to go out there, do everything with a smile and cherish every moment that I'm out there on the basketball court.”

If she takes the court for UConn’s exhibition against Boston College on Oct. 13, 933 days will have passed since Patterson last played in game action. That’s a lot of rust to knock off, especially considering she couldn’t even do basketball activities on her own for much of that time. The road back will have some bumps, though Patterson understands they’re part of the process.

“I’m getting used to playing basketball. It's hard to get back adjusted,” she said. “I just give myself grace and I thank my teammates for being there and being supportive through the ups and downs.”

Early in her freshman season, Patterson established herself as a force in the low post with her non-stop motor and bull-in-a-china-shop mentality on both ends of the floor. She starred in UConn’s lone exhibition by embracing physicality in the paint — an edge that the frontcourt had been lacking for years.

But after so much time on the sidelines, Patterson has struggled to pick up where she left off.

“I think the biggest adjustment was having somebody in front of you,” she said. “I mean, when you go two years no contact, it's hard. It's a hard adjustment.”

The same is true with her athleticism. Originally the No. 4 prospect in the class of 2022, Patterson had immense physical tools coming out of high school. She went viral for her dunking ability — often throwing it down with ease, sometimes whilst using both hands — and paced the Huskies in the weight room as a freshman.

The injuries have sapped some of that, though. She’s no longer the favorite to be the first player in program history to throw down a dunk in a game.

“My knees, I don't have that anymore. My body’s still getting adjusted,” Patterson said. “Maybe in a couple years, I got one more in me.”

It’s not all bad, though. From the moment Patterson stepped on campus, her coaches and teammates quickly pointed to her as one of the hardest workers on the team. That work ethic hasn’t gone away, so much — if not all — of her previous ability should return in due time. Patience will be key.

“I feel like I'm gaining confidence [to get] back where I was. Of course, physicality is going to be a big thing for me,” Patterson said. “Getting back to guarding a bigger forward and being able to guard one through five, getting that speed back and that agility — it doesn't come back that quick. But I feel like I'm moving in the right direction.”

Given how much time she missed, Patterson hasn’t played with much of UConn’s current roster. She and Paige Bueckers were teammates for three seasons but never played a single game together. Patterson and Ice Brady both arrived in the class of 2022 but have yet to share the court. The only current Huskies that she’s seen action with are Caroline Ducharme and Azzi Fudd.

Safe to say that nobody is looking forward to the start of the season more than Patterson.

“I'm so excited. I think the night before [the first game], I might not sleep,” she laughed. “It's going to be a sweet feeling for not only me but my family members, my friends and of course my coaches and the medical staff that have been with me this whole ride. It'll be a good moment for everyone to see.”

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