Among the two biggest question marks facing UConn this upcoming season — injuries and the post — Ayanna Patterson is at the intersection of the two. She came to Storrs as part of the Huskies’ 2022 recruiting class alongside Ice Brady, two top-five prospects who were supposed to be the future of the frontcourt.

Injuries have interfered with that plan — particularly with Patterson. While Brady missed the entirety of her freshman campaign after dislocating her patella in October 2022, she returned to full health for the 2023-24 season. Patterson hasn’t been fully healthy since she got to campus.

Instead, she’s battled patellar tendinitis — an ailment which dates back to her high school days — that limited her as a freshman and wiped out her sophomore campaign.

If she’s finally healthy after undergoing knee surgery last December, Patterson could be an underrated x-factor in UConn’s new-look frontcourt.