Mar. 29—BRIDGEPORT — Dorka Juhász waited four seasons to play in the NCAA tournament, but hadn't been playing up to her capabilities.

The UConn women's basketball team's graduate student forward shot 12.5 percent from the floor in the Huskies' first three wins and after missing three shots in three first-half minutes Saturday against Indiana, found herself on the bench the rest of the way.

But the Juhász who had played well down the stretch of the regular season was back for Monday night's Bridgeport Regional final against North Carolina State. She finished a layup inside for her first basket since the opener against Mercer March 19 and grabbed a defensive rebound.

With 6:19 left in the second quarter, though, Juhász grabbed a rebound of an Azzi Fudd miss and hit the floor after being fouled. Trying to brace for the fall, Juhász suffered a fractured left wrist and had to leave the game.

She did return to the bench with her arm in a sling in time to watch the end of the second-seeded Huskies' 91-87 double-overtime win at Total Mortgage Arena and celebrate a 14th straight Final Four berth with her teammates. They placed a Final Four hat on her head and tossed confetti over her.

"The four or five minutes that she got in there today she was the biggest factor in the game," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. "She had an impact on every defensive possession, every rebound possession, every offensive possession. So for that to happen at that moment, I just ... It's the reason why the kid came here.

"But it's another reminder, too. All these shining moments, one shining moment, one moment that ain't shiny and your season is over. That's how fragile all this is, and that's why you've got to appreciate it and you've got to enjoy it. I don't care how many of these we win. They're still like the first one."

Juhász will miss Friday night's national semifinal against Stanford at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

In her 3:41 on the floor, the Huskies' lead went from two to seven.

"It's very sad for Dorka, but I feel like the way our season has gone all year, we were well prepared for this game and for something like that to happen," UConn senior Christyn Williams said. "A lot of us have gone down at one point or another in the season, so we've learned how to sub in and just keep rolling with the punches."

Juhász — from Pecs, Hungary — averaged 7.3 points and 5.7 rebounds in 19.8 minutes in 32 games in her first season at UConn after transferring from Ohio State. She has a year of eligibility remaining but no official word from her or the school has come on whether she'll use it.

"Hopefully, she'll get another opportunity to do this," Auriemma said.

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.