UConn superstar Paige Bueckers is the cream of the crop when it comes to women’s college basketball players.
The fifth-year senior has cemented herself as one of the best players in the world, and with the help of UConn head coach Geno Auriemma, she’s looking to become a world champion. Keep reading to find out what he had to say about his superstar.
Geno Auriemma Praises Paige Bueckers’ Ahead of Sweet 16
Auriemma spoke with Newsstitched Media ahead of UConn’s March Madness run. The legendary coach explained his early commitment to Bueckers and his recruiting process.
It’s March and you know what that means. It’s March Madness time!! Our team had the chance to talk with Coach Geno Auriemma about Paige Bueckers and why she fits the UCONN brand. Check it out! Brandon Harley #NewsstitchedMedia #fagofranklin #director #sportsmedia #womensbasketbal pic.twitter.com/5hszDdoQTO
— Newsstitched Media (@FagoF) March 2, 2025
“Well, there’s a lot of kids we didn’t recruit, and there’s a lot of kids that don’t want to come to UConn,” Auriemma said. “And I committed to Paige Bueckers very very early, and it would’ve been silly of me to say to Paige ‘aye listen we’re gonna put you in the same backcourt, and then I’m gonna try really hard to recruit Caitlin Clark.’
“I don’t do it that way, and, you know, Caitlin obviously is a tremendous player, generational player, but if Caitlin really wanted to come to UConn, she would’ve called me and said, ‘Coach, I really want to come to UConn.’”
“So, I don’t think either of us lost out. I think she made the best decision for her and it’s worked out great. We made the decision we thought was what we needed to make.
“There’s a lot of great players coming through high school that we see, thousands of them. You’re only going to recruit some, you’re not going to recruit all of them, and some people do recruit all of them, I don’t.”
KEEP READING: Paige Bueckers Most Impressive Feats During His Historic Run at UConn
“I try to lock in to who fits us, try to lock in on them early, and that’s what happened with us and Paige. We felt really, really comfortable with that, and we went with it. And obviously, in today’s world, that’s a big deal, but those are decisions that are made every day, every year, by every coach.”
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