Aubrey Griffin expects to play in NCAA Tournament opener

After sitting out the Big East Tournament with knee soreness, Aubrey Griffin expects to play in UConn’s NCAA Tournament opener against Arkansas State on Saturday.

“Yeah, I’ll be good,” she said.

While Geno Auriemma was less definitive — “Will we have her back? Probably. Probably, possibly. Full strength? Not sure yet,” — Griffin was pressed on whether she was confident she’d be out there and answered affirmatively.

“I feel good right now,” she said. “Just getting acclimated back in. I had a sore knee, so that held me back a little bit but now doing much better and on the right track.”

Griffin tore her ACL last year and didn’t return until Jan. 19. While progress was slow at times, she started to hit her groove by the end of the regular season, hitting double-figures in three of the final six games. She needs just 24 points to hit 1,000 in her career.

After UConn’s win over Marquette on March 2, Griffin experienced soreness in her knee, so the team sat her for the Big East Tournament as a precaution. While she could’ve played if necessary, the Huskies wanted her to be ready for the NCAA Tournament.

Griffin still hasn’t returned to full practice and isn’t sure whether or not she’ll be on a minutes restriction yet. But she plans to be out there on Saturday.

Elsewhere in injury news, Ayanna Patterson participated in practice during the 15-minute window open to the media. She underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in December but is expected to be fully recovered for summer workouts in June. The fact that she’s already practicing — even if it’s in a limited capacity — is a good sign.

“The doctors think it's that in six months, she'll be 100 percent ready to go back to basketball. That's what they're predicting,” Auriemma said back in December. “And I know Yanna will work her butt off.”

Patterson has missed two consecutive seasons due to injury after knee problems kept her out the entire 2023-24 campaign.