Friday’s NCAA women’s Final Four matchup not only showcased a battle between the UConn Huskies women’s basketball and the South Carolina Gamecocks women’s basketball — as well as a postgame exchange between Geno Auriemma and Dawn Staley — but also highlighted former stars developed by both programs and coaches.
On Threads, A’ja Wilson posted a message searching for Paige Bueckers after the Gamecocks secured a 62-48 victory.
“Oh Paigeeeeeeeeee….where are youuuuu,” she said.
She later followed up with a FaceTime screenshot showing Bueckers flipping her off while Wilson held an “L” on her forehead.
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In February 2025, USC honored Wilson by retiring her No. 22 jersey, solidifying her legacy. She guided the Gamecocks to their first national championship in 2017, their first Women’s Final Four appearance in 2015, and contributed to four SEC tournament titles and three SEC regular-season championships.
Her influence was described as “legendary” by Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley.
“What she means to our program is legendary,” Staley said (per ESPN). “You think of legendary as what they do on the court, but the magic of A’ja is all the other stuff. It’s OK to come to a local college, university, and take on the pressures. It’s a pressure thing because you are doing it in front of all of the people that know you. You only want to do well in front of them.”
Wilson’s impact on South Carolina was so significant that the university erected a statue in her honor.
Meanwhile, Bueckers concluded her decorated UConn career (2020–2025) as a 2025 NCAA champion, the 2025 Wade Trophy recipient, and a three-time unanimous First Team All-American.
She dominated as a freshman by winning four national player of the year awards in 2021 and later returned from injury to lead UConn to the 2025 title, finishing as the program’s all-time leading scorer in NCAA tournament history.
Paige Bueckers Reveals She and A’Ja Wilson had a Bet in UConn vs South Carolina
Ahead of the matchup, Bueckers revealed that she made a bet with A’ja Wilson as their respective college teams faced off in the Women’s NCAA Final Four.
Bueckers explained that if UConn won, Wilson would wear a UConn player-edition version of her signature shoes during a preseason game, while if South Carolina won, she would wear the same shoes in Gamecocks colors.
It remains to be seen whether Bueckers will ultimately honor the bet following South Carolina’s victory, while fans will also turn their attention to the WNBA draft, where Bueckers’ girlfriend and former UConn teammate Azzi Fudd is projected as a top-three pick, potentially landing with the Dallas Wings, who hold the No. 1 selection.
