Basketball fans at Gampel Pavilion witnessed something special on Monday night. It was Paige Bueckers who delivered yet another unforgettable performance. The UConn superstar matched her career high in her home finale with 34 points.
Now, Bueckers focuses on the ultimate goal—bringing home UConn’s 12th national championship and its first since 2016.
Paige Bueckers Leads UConn to Another Achievement
She led the second-seeded Huskies to a commanding 91-57 victory over No. 10 seed South Dakota State. With the win, UConn extended its remarkable streak of 31 consecutive Sweet 16 appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
With UConn’s dominant win over South Dakota State, Bueckers bid farewell to the home crowd in the best way possible—by putting on a scoring clinic. The senior was widely projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming WNBA Draft.
She scored seven points during a 16-2 second-quarter run and led the Huskies to 21. UConn’s offense made 10 consecutive shots at one point in the second quarter and hit eight in a row in the third.
Bueckers’ ability to take over games has been a defining trait of her college career. In 2021, she became the first freshman woman to win the Associated Press Player of the Year award, an honor that placed her among the greats of college basketball.
Paige Bueckers is the ONLY PLAYER in College Basketball, WNBA & NBA to shoot 50-40-90 AND lead the country in AST/TO ratio 😳🔥
Truly 1 OF 1 🐐 pic.twitter.com/aRikqVVoGp
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 25, 2025
“That’s not surprising at all,” said UConn guard Caroline Ducharme about Bueckers’ continued dominance.
“We knew that she was going to do great things the moment that she got here. That’s the type of player she is. She’s so unselfish, and she’s a great scorer. This is no surprise.”
During the Huskies’ first-round game against No. 15 Arkansas State—a dominant 103-34 win—she quietly moved up the all-time assist rankings. Her four assists helped her pass Maya Moore and tie Kelly Faris for 10th place on UConn’s all-time assist list with 545.
Impressively, Bueckers and Diana Taurasi are now the only players in program history to rank in the top 10 for both points and assists. She has already accumulated a decorated college career filled with individual accolades.
Paige Bueckers’ Career Accomplishments at UConn
Senior Year (2025):
- Big East Tournament Most Outstanding Player
- Inducted into UConn’s Huskies of Honor
Junior Year (2024):
- Reached 1,000 career points in just 55 games, tying Maya Moore for the fastest in UConn history
- WBCA First-Team All-American
- AP First-Team All-American
- USBWA First-Team All-American
- Wooden Award First-Team All-American
- CSC First-Team Academic All-American
- Big East Player of the Year
- Big East Scholar-Athlete of the Year
- NCAA Tournament Final Four All-Tournament Team
- NCAA Tournament Portland 3 Region Most Outstanding Player
- Big East Tournament Most Outstanding Player
- All-Big East First Team
KEEP READING: ‘A Dream To Play Here’ — Paige Bueckers Gets Emotional As UConn Clinches 31st Consecutive Sweet Sixteen Appearance
With UConn standing at 32-3 this season, the Huskies are in prime position to continue their march toward the Final Four. As Bueckers prepares for her next challenge, fans are left in awe of the legacy she continues to build.
With her collegiate career winding down, one question remains: Can she cap it off with a national championship?
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