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UConn's Griffin looking forward to getting back in action

Carl Adamec, Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.
·5 min read
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Jun. 22—WEST HARTFORD — The pain in Aubrey Griffin's back and radiating down her legs made it tough on her every-day life and impossible to be an elite athlete.

The UConn women's basketball team's redshirt junior understood back surgery — a discectomy, where a piece of her L5-S1 disk would be removed — was a last resort but also a necessary first step if she was to play again.

That was Jan. 10. A bit over five months later Griffin's journey continues slowly but, she feels, surely.

"It was really tough in the beginning," Griffin said Tuesday while attending UConn coach Geno Auriemma's Fore the Kids Charity Golf tournament at Hartford Golf Club. "I obviously wanted to play and I wanted to be there with my team and be able to practice. It was hard not being able to do anything. I had a lot of ups and downs.

"What got me through was staying confident, worrying about the things that I could control. I couldn't control the injuries. I don't want to be scared of something that I can't control. I'm still going to do the same things and do the work to get back on the court."

Griffin has started jogging and jumping and getting some shots up. As the rehabilitation process continues she hopes to do more.

The most important thing is she is regaining strength in her back and legs and is pain-free. Her goal is to be fully cleared when the Huskies return to campus for fall semester classes and begin workouts.

"I feel good about that," Griffin said. "I think I should be ready for preseason."

A 6-foot-1 forward from Ossining, New York, Griffin was a key contributor off the bench her first two seasons. She was named to the 2020 American Athletic Conference all-tournament team as a freshman and averaged 6.2 points on 52.3 percent shooting and 4.8 rebounds as a sophomore. Her best moments of 2021 may have come in the NCAA tournament Elite Eight win over Baylor when she drew a pair of offensive fouls from the Bears' DiJonai Carrington in a 19-0 second-half run that erased a 10-point deficit.

But at the start of last season she dealt with an ankle issue. It appeared she might be ready to play in early December but back problems proved to be too much to overcome.

Surgery followed.

"When it first happened, there were a lot of ups and downs," Griffin said. "I was playing but then I would feel pain and have to stop. I would feel better the next day and try to practice, but by the end of practice I would be in pain again. When I went to get my MRI, they told me that my disc was getting larger. They suggested surgery so I took that route, and I haven't had much pain since then.

"Before surgery, I couldn't even bend down to tie my shoe. I was not really moving around the first month but the second month I started doing rehab and I'm still doing rehab right now. I always had hope. I was talking with the doctors and they said, 'Yes, you'll be able to play basketball again.' I never doubted that. I'm a hard worker and I was determined to stick to my rehab and do what I had to do to get back on the court."

Griffin watched the Huskies sweep the Big East regular season and tournament titles and reach their 14th consecutive NCAA Final Four. But a 30-6 campaign came to a close on April 3 with a 64-49 loss to South Carolina in the national championship game at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

Her teammates can't wait to get her, well, back.

"I think that was one of the most underrated parts of the season last year was how much we missed her," UConn guard Paige Bueckers said. "Everything she does for us offensively and defensively was missed. She's got a guard body but she plays like a post. Obviously having her back will be a huge key for our success this year. I'm excited for her."

And Griffin is excited to get back. But that enthusiasm will be directed towards her family this week.

Her younger brother, AJ, is expected to be a lottery pick in Thursday's NBA Draft. He made himself eligible for the draft after helping Duke to the Final Four in his one season with the Blue Devils.

"I'll be there for my little brother," Griffin said. "He's really excited and I'm happy that I'll be there to support him. It's crazy, man. It's a dream come true for him. I'm glad I'll be there to witness it."

But Friday, her journey continues.

"I'm definitely looking forward to getting back on the court and continuing to work hard," Griffin said. "No matter what it is, I want to find how I can have an impact and just do it.

"I'm looking forward to the next game I play in, the next practice, too."

For coverage of all sports in the JI's 18-town coverage area, plus updates on the UConn women's basketball team and head coach Geno Auriemma, follow Carl Adamec on Twitter: @CarlAdamec, Facebook: Carl Adamec, and Instagram: @CarlAdamec.