Ahead of their highly anticipated game on Sunday, Feb. 16, South Carolina Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley admitted she would still sign UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers if given the opportunity.
Paige Bueckers Taking College Basketball By Storm
Bueckers is having an outstanding season for Connecticut. In fact, she has been a standout since joining the UConn Huskies in 2020. Her vision, dynamic play, and determination have been crucial to the team’s success.
This season, she is averaging 18.7 points, 4.4 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game. Bueckers is coming off an impressive performance against Providence, where she led all scorers with 20 points in UConn’s 77-40 victory.
Though she recently experienced a slight dip in form, she remains a serious contender for National Player of the Year.
Staley Talks Up Bueckers Ahead of UConn’s Visit to South Carolina
Next up for Bueckers is a trip to South Carolina in what promises to be a compelling matchup. The Gamecocks are third in the Southeastern Conference, while UConn holds the No. 1 seed in the Big East.
Despite the challenge ahead, Staley remained upbeat while speaking about Bueckers, revealing that she was close to signing the 23-year-old during the recruiting process.
“You don’t turn the page when you’re playing Paige. You have to stay current with her,” Staley told ABC Columbia.
“She is just super savvy, just can score the basketball, super unselfish. Like, she can do it all. Paige defends, Paige just gives it up—like, for winning, for the sake of winning.”
“She is someone we recruited, which I thought was pretty cool. I used to speak to her once a week. I was scheduled to go to Minneapolis to see her play, and she told me not to come because she had decided where she wanted to go.”
“You don’t turn the page when you’re playing Paige. You have to stay current with her.”
Dawn Staley on defending #UConn‘s Paige Bueckers & she shares an interesting story from when she was recruiting Paige to come to South Carolina. Worth the listen 🏀@abc_columbia -… pic.twitter.com/j1FwszhzHA
— Chaz R Frazier (@Chazf_tv) February 16, 2025
“I did tell her that if she had come to South Carolina, I’m almost certain we could have put 10 or 15 pounds on her with all the Southern cooking down here and sweet tea,” Staley added with a laugh.
Staley’s Track Record of Coaching WNBA Talent
Staley has coached several WNBA stars, including A’ja Wilson, Aliyah Boston, Tiffany Mitchell, Allisha Gray, and Laeticia Amihere, among others.
Still, Bueckers’ decision to join UConn is understandable, given the Huskies’ status as the most successful program in NCAA Division I history with 11 national titles.
KEEP READING: Top 10 Women’s College Basketball Players in 2025
The matchup between South Carolina and UConn is sure to be a thrilling one. And while Staley holds great admiration for Bueckers, she will hope the UConn star doesn’t shine too brightly against her team.
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