UConn superstar Paige Bueckers isn’t sweating the drama swirling around USC’s seeding in the 2025 Women’s NCAA Tournament. While Trojans coach Lindsay Gottlieb fumes over her team’s No. 1 seed placement, Bueckers and the Huskies keep their eyes locked on the next game.
Here’s how the controversy unfolded and why it barely registers on Bueckers’ radar.
Paige Bueckers Not Paying Much Attention to USC’s Seeding Controversy
The brackets dropped on Sunday for the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, and USC landed a No. 1 seed for the second straight year. With a 28-3 record and a No. 4 national ranking, the Trojans seem set to dominate their opening games at Galen Center in Los Angeles.
But the selection committee threw a curveball. USC drew the fourth overall No. 1 seed, placing them behind top-seeded UCLA and setting up a potential Elite Eight clash with UConn, last year’s tournament kryptonite for the Trojans.
USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb didn’t hold back her disappointment.
“I never thought I’d be a 1 seed and feel disrespected,” she told reporters after the selection show watch party. She questioned the committee’s logic, showing frustration over facing a powerhouse like UConn so early in the bracket.
“Sometimes I don’t understand the people who make decisions in women’s college basketball and why they do what they do,” she added.
The Trojans had split their season series with UCLA, losing the Big Ten title game just a week prior. Still, Gottlieb felt her team deserved better than the fourth slot among the top seeds.
UConn, a No. 2 seed with a vengeance, looms large. They knocked USC out in last year’s Elite Eight.
“We’re just focused on what’s ahead of us, and right now that’s a game on Saturday against Arkansas State.”
When asked about Lindsay Gottlieb’s frustration over USC’s seeding, Paige Bueckers stayed focused on UConn’s upcoming matchup. pic.twitter.com/6Bn52Aw6tM
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 19, 2025
In a recent ESPN interview, she was asked about Gottlieb’s comments and the speculation that USC’s coach sees her as the roadblock to a Final Four berth.
Bueckers didn’t bite, only saying, “We try to stay off social media during these times. So we don’t necessarily see all the things that happen.”
“We’re just focused on what’s ahead of us,” she continued. “Right now, that’s a game on Saturday against Arkansas State. So not looking too forward into the future and just focusing on the present.”
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No mind games and no bracket breakdowns—just the next opponent—is all that is in front of the star.
Bueckers’ calmness contrasts starkly with Gottlieb’s fire. While USC’s coach dissects the committee’s choices, the UConn star tunes out the chatter.
For her, Arkansas State is the main mission right now. If the Trojans and Huskies collide later, Bueckers will deal with it then. For now, she’s keeping it simple, and that might be the most intimidating response of all.
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