TAMPA, Fla. — When Paige Bueckers made the decision to commit to play basketball at the University of Connecticut back in April 2019, she had a clear understanding of the standard surrounding the program: UConn’s all-time greats are measured in terms of how many national championships they’ve won.
The All-American senior guard is set to finish her college basketball career this weekend, and while she is taking part in her fourth Final Four, Bueckers is still seeking her first national championship, determined to finish a remarkable run with the most important feat of all.
“Obviously there are expectations here, and anything less than a national championship is really a disappointment,” Bueckers said ahead of Friday night’s semifinal matchup with UCLA. “As players, that’s what you play for and what you want to live up to, and the expectations and the pressure, it’s a privilege. We all look at it as such, and we’re just extremely grateful to play here under the best coaching staff in the world and in the best program in the world, and just wear the jersey with pride.”
The Huskies (35-3) are technically underdogs this weekend, the lone Final Four team that isn’t a No. 1 seed, having knocked off USC in the regional final to advance with top-seeded UCLA, South Carolina and Texas. UConn hasn’t won a national title since 2016, and they’ve lost in the semifinal round six of the seven times they’ve made the Final Four since.
Bueckers, widely expected to be the No. 1 pick in this year’s WNBA Draft, is closing a major chapter in her life, and doing so with an awareness and appreciation of what she’s had in college. She is determined to lead her team to that elusive championship, but it won’t change how much she’s savoring her last Final Four.
“Obviously, it’s my last year,” she said. “So just to be able to enjoy being here together and enjoy the little things, like hanging out, sauna-ing together, cold-tubbing together, eating together, all the little things that you sometimes take for granted, don’t take them for granted and just enjoy them as much as you can.”
Bueckers is one of the most statistically dominant women’s college basketball players in recent memory, ranking second in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio on a team that leads the nation in that statistic. The Huskies give up the fewest points of any team in college basketball and lead the nation in shooting percentage, but their success is also a function of Buecker’s leadership.
“Her sense of urgency rubs off on everyone, just how hard-working she is, and you can tell she’s really determined,” teammate and fellow senior Aubrey Griffin said of Bueckers. “Her leadership is something we all look up to.”
UConn head coach Geno Auriemma said one area where Bueckers is distinct and separates herself from his all-time great players is that she’s played her college career in a world of social media and heightened interaction with the high demands UConn has. That hasn’t been easy, but it’s something Bueckers also takes pride in as part of her resilience.
“It’s still a learning process, learning to care less about the opinions of others and trying to please everyone,” Bueckers said. “For every 500 people that love you, there’s going to be five that hate you. It’s just focusing on the people that are important.
“There’s a saying: You don’t take criticism from people you wouldn’t take advice from. It’s just making sure you’re listening to the right voices. Deleting social media is a great word of advice as well. It’s not paying attention to it, not letting anything outside of this locker room infiltrate what we have.”
For now, Bueckers is an elite player without a championship, a rare find in UConn’s celebrated history, but Auriemma holds her in the highest respect, noting a close parallel between Bueckers and one of his greatest players, guard Diana Taurasi, who won three straight championships from 2002-04.
“They’re both extremely outgoing. They both enjoy other people’s company. They’re accommodating to other people, they’re respectful,” Auriemma said. “They’re great team players. They’re both generous to their teammates, both on and off the court. They can summon up something that’s needed at the time when it’s exactly needed. They take responsibility for what happens. They’re not afraid of criticism that might come if they fail. I don’t think anybody loves being in the gym more than those two.”
The last piece of her legacy awaits in the coming days, and Bueckers is fiercely motivated to win a championship, but also grateful for everything that has brought her to this point, the wins and the losses alike.
What does she want her legacy to be?
“A legacy of being a great teammate, of being a great leader,” Bueckers said. “Every single time I stepped on the floor, I gave everything that I had, and had nothing left. Also, being a giver, to give with what I’ve been given and use my platform for good and trying to make this world and women’s basketball and sports in general a better place, and just loved everything about the game.”
Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He previously spent a decade covering the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.
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