UConn women's basketball sophomore Caroline Ducharme did not play in the Huskies' season-opening, 98-39 win over Northeastern on Thursday due to "neck stiffness," according to coach Geno Auriemma.
"[She's] better," Auriemma told reporters before practice Wednesday. "Not sure about going forward. Tomorrow she's not playing, but it's getting better every day. So we'll keep our fingers crossed that maybe we'll be set to go by the weekend."
The Huskies -- at one point considered the top challengers to defending national champion South Carolina -- are now down to nine available players entering the season. 2020-21 national player of the year Paige Bueckers will miss the season with an ACL tear she suffered in August, while freshman Ice Brady will also be sidelined for the year with a dislocated patella she experienced last month.
Ducharme, who is also coming off an offseason hip surgery, was one of UConn's top scorers last season when Bueckers and then-freshman Azzi Fudd missed significant time due to injuries. Ducharme started 11 games in all, averaging 9.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.
"She's just trying to get her stiff neck loosened up and we're having a hard time with that," Auriemma told the media following UConn's exhibition Sunday, which Ducharme also missed. "It comes and goes. Some days it's really good, some days, not so good. So we're trying to get it consistently good."
After its opener, UConn has two huge nonconference games coming up, both at home: No. 3 Texas on Monday and then No. 10 NC State on Nov. 20.