UConn Huskies suffered a stunning 80–68 loss to Texas on November 30, 2023, prompting head coach Geno Auriemma to be critical of his star Paige Bueckers.
Bueckers, who was coming off a knee injury that kept her sidelined for a year, could only score five points at halftime and finished the game with 13 points, while shooting 4 of 11. She also had four rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one turnover in 35 minutes. Neither Bueckers was able to score effortlessly, nor did her teammates provide her with good looks.
After the game, Auriemma criticized Bueckers, whose NIL valuation stands at $1.5 million as per On3.
“I thought she was lousy today. Quite honestly, I thought she was bad, and I told her that,” Auriemma said.
“You know, Paige isn’t good when she needs seven dribbles to get a shot off. Paige isn’t good when she’s got to, you know, take on guys one-against-two (or) one-against-three going in the lane. You know, forcing things, hoping to get to the free throw line. That’s not her game. That’s not who she is.”
Geno Auriemma Used Paige Bueckers’ Example to Advocate for Contribution From Everyone
Basketball is a team sport and should be played like one. However, in modern position less basketball, star players often hold the responsibility to do better each game. While most of the times, they see things through but their bad days turn bad for the entire team too.
During the post game conference following the loss to Texas, Geno Auriemma preached the same while asking for Paige Bueckers’ teammates to step in support.
“It’s a huge concern,” Auriemma said. “And that’s why it’s important that we get other people to contribute more and to feel more confident doing what they’re good at, you know. It’s noticeable on the road, you know, how difficult it is for some of these guys. And, again, there’s no substitute. … It’s not possible to beat to be good teams unless we get more contributions from other people.”
Fans today view it as the moment of Geno’s tough love. It very well helped the Huskies get better as they eventually brought back the national championship hope last season. It also made sure that Bueckers walked away from college as a national champion. She went on to get picked first overall in the 2025 WNBA draft by the Dallas Wings. And guess what? She’s already an All-Star in the professional league.
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