Before Paige Bueckers was picked by the Dallas Wings first overall in the 2025 WNBA draft, the forward played five years with the UConn Huskies under coach Geno Auriemma. She suffered season-ending ailments, missed another primary scorer for the season in one season before everything came together for her in the final season.
The Huskies went on to defeat Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks to give Bueckers and some of her teammates a perfect farewell with the national championship win.
On Friday, Bueckers joined Deja Kelly for an episode on NILOSOPHY to discuss her journey with the Huskies.
“Yeah, I mean, as much as I love UConn, being there for five years was a long time,” Bueckers said (1:53). “And just being ready for the next chapter of your life—thank God I got to close it out the right way, and we all did that as a team.
“The journey that I went on through UConn—I wouldn’t trade it for the world, just because it shaped me to be who I am,” she continued. “It changed a lot of my perspective on things and helped me grow as a person, a leader, a basketball player on and off the court.”
Bueckers, who had an NIL valuation of $1.5 million (via On3), also spoke about her mindset entering her fifth and final year of her college basketball career.
“I kind of just made that decision before the season even started—that I was going to give everything that I had to this season,” Bueckers said. “Just give everything I had to it and be ready for the next chapter. I think having that decision made before I even started sort of is a weight lifted off your shoulders. It’s something you don’t have to worry about.”
While Bueckers still had eligibility remaining due to her injury redshirt, she naturally felt it was a perfect time to move on.
“It was really just—I don’t know—when you feel like something is over,” she added. “Obviously, you had one more season to play out, but you just feel like that was the last chapter to it.”
Paige Bueckers’ Role in Leading UConn to NCAA Title
Entering the 2024-25 season, Paige Bueckers was coming off multiple major injuries (missing her entire junior year due to an ACL tear) and saw UConn come up short in three previous Final Fours.
Bueckers’ role was important in ending UConn’s nine-year national championship drought. She led the team from the front during the NCAA Tournament. She tallied 34 points vs. South Dakota State, 40 vs. Oklahoma and 31 vs. USC to become the first UConn player with three straight 30-point NCAA tournament games.
In the national championship game, Bueckers scored 17 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished three assists. The Huskies crushed the Gamecocks 82-59 to win their 12th overall national title.
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