SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — UConn coach Geno Auriemma stirred some debate during last year’s NCAA Tournament when he declared that Paige Bueckers was the best player in the country. His statement raised questions, especially with Iowa’s Caitlin Clark dominating the spotlight, but Auriemma stood by his opinion.
With a career-high 40-point performance in the Sweet 16, Bueckers continues to solidify her place among the game’s elite, possibly even as the top player in this year’s tournament. She and her UConn teammates are chasing a national championship something Clark and Iowa have yet to achieve after back-to-back losses in the title game. But first, the Huskies (34-3) must face Southern California (31-3) in an Elite Eight rematch.
“You try to block out the pressure and focus on playing,” Bueckers said. “Of course, the stakes are high, but I just try to approach every game like it’s my last, like it’s the most important 40 minutes of my life.”
With Bueckers expected to be the No. 1 pick in the upcoming WNBA draft, every game could be her final one in a UConn uniform. She took over in the second half of Saturday’s game, leading the Huskies to an 82-59 victory over Oklahoma. Her 40-point outburst surpassed her previous career high of 34, which she set in UConn’s second-round win against South Dakota State her final home game at Gampel Pavilion. She also tied her career-best mark with six three-pointers before exiting to a standing ovation.
“Paige was incredible,” Auriemma said. “That was the best I’ve ever seen her play, and she did it when it mattered most. As a senior, this is exactly why she came to UConn.”
Bueckers arrived in 2020 and was named national player of the year as a freshman. However, injuries limited her to just 17 games the following season, and she missed the entire 2022-23 campaign due to an ACL tear. This season, she rebounded to earn AP All-America honors and her third Big East Player of the Year award.
Auriemma has guided UConn to a record 11 national titles, though the team hasn’t won since 2016. Last season, they fell to Clark and Iowa in the Final Four.
“Paige has been outstanding for years,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “She’s an efficient scorer, a great passer, and moves well without the ball. But now, there’s an urgency to her game. She’s not waiting for the next opportunity—it has to be now.”
Fans had eagerly anticipated a matchup between Bueckers and USC star JuJu Watkins in the Elite Eight, but Watkins suffered a season-ending knee injury in the second round. UConn defeated USC in this round last year when Watkins was a freshman.
In Watkins’ absence, USC relied on freshmen Kennedy Smith and Avery Howell in their 67-61 win over Kansas State. The Trojans are seeking their first national championship since winning back-to-back titles in 1983 and 1984, but losing Watkins is a significant setback.
Bueckers understands that struggle all too well, having endured her own ACL injury two years ago.
“A big part of my journey has been proving that injuries don’t define you,” she said. “You can come back stronger—mentally, physically, and emotionally. No one can write you off. You can rewrite the narrative.”
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