The moment women’s basketball fans have been waiting for has finally arrived. Paige Bueckers, who logged a 17-point performance against South Carolina and clinched the 2024-25 championship for UConn, is officially a WNBA player as she has been drafted as an overall No. 1 pick by the Dallas Wings.
Now, as she prepares to take her talents to Dallas, her former coach Geno Auriemma has some straightforward advice for Wings head coach Chris Koclanes.
Geno Auriemma Wants Wings Head Coach To Stay Calm
When asked in an ESPN interview what advice he would give to Koclanes before he begins coaching the phenomenal Bueckers, Auriemma didn’t hesitate with his blunt four-word response: “Pretend that everything’s OK.”
Moreover, the UConn coaching icon didn’t stop there, elaborating on his initial statement with additional wisdom for Koclanes.
“Be ready for her to challenge you. And you should challenge her,” Auriemma continued. “She’s gonna be a risk-taker, and you’re gonna have to live with some of the risks because most times they actually pay off. And at the end of the day, just keep in mind that she wants to win as much as you do. And so spend more time in the gym than you do. So it’s a home run for both of them.”
"Pretend that everything's ok."
Geno Auriemma's advice for coaching Paige Bueckers 😂 pic.twitter.com/6RwXma4S9A
— ESPN (@espn) April 15, 2025
In his 40 seasons at UConn, Auriemma has built a dynasty. His résumé includes 12 NCAA championships, 23 Final Four appearances, and 1,250 career wins, all while producing a staggering list of WNBA superstars like Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Maya Moore, and Breanna Stewart. So, when Auriemma speaks on what it takes to coach Bueckers, it carries weight.
Now, she joins a Wings squad under the guidance of Koclanes, a coach stepping into his first WNBA head coaching role but no stranger to the game. Koclanes served as an assistant coach with the Wings and worked closely with the team’s backcourt, helping develop standout guards like Arike Ogunbowale.
His promotion to head coach came with praise for his attention to detail, relationship-building, and modern offensive schemes, traits that will serve him well coaching a high-IQ player like Bueckers.
As the WNBA welcomes a new superstar and Dallas embraces its newest franchise cornerstone, the torch passes from one coaching mind to another with a little blunt wisdom in between.
Auriemma Shares a Message for Piage Bueckers
Bueckers burst onto the college basketball scene in her freshman season at UConn, averaging 20 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.9 rebounds per game. Her impact was immediate as she became the first freshman ever to win the AP Player of the Year award and also the Naimsmith College Player of the Year Award.
However, the next two seasons tested her resilience. A string of injuries, including a torn ACL, kept her sidelined and left fans wondering if she’d ever return to her dominant form.
But Bueckers used that time wisely. She rebuilt her body, refined her game, and came back stronger and delivered a championship for the Huskies in her final year. Auriemma, who has coached some of the greatest women’s players ever, was moved by her journey.
“That’s a lot, you know, when somebody’s anointed you as the next great player at UConn. So for it to end the way it ended, it’s almost prophetic,” Auriemma said about Bueckers’ journey during the same interview.
In her final season, Buckers averaged 19.9 points, 4.6 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game. With her work ethic and talent, she’s poised to be a generational star in the WNBA.