They say, “You can’t spell ‘elite’ without ‘Paige,'” and Paige Bueckers proved the saying to be true.
Amalie Arena was the stage for a moment that will go down in women’s college basketball history. Bueckers delivered a stunning performance, scoring 17 points and leading her team to an 82-59 win over South Carolina in the 2025 NCAA championship on April 6. With that victory, UConn claimed its 12th national title.
But beyond the confetti and headlines, there was a tension in the air that night, which has now been revealed by a former UConn champ.
Coach Geno Auriemma Showed His Ruthless Side to Paige Bueckers
In a recent episode of iHeart’s “Good Game with Sarah Spain,” former UConn legend Rebecca Lobo, who was a guest on the show, shed light on a story many hadn’t heard. According to Lobo, UConn head coach Geno Auriemma didn’t let the sentimental moment linger.
“It’s probably two in the morning, and Paige comes down, and she’s got the net on and her championship hat on, and she comes over, and it’s all kind of the older players sitting around,” Lobo shared on the podcast.
“And coach kind of looks at her and is like, ‘Oh, what? You got one and you’re done, so you think you can be down here now?’ … And he looks at Paige, and he points at me, and he said, ‘Go sit next to her, you guys only have one,'” Lobo said.
Surprisingly, this side of coach Auriemma was witnessed just hours after he was seen tightly hugging Bueckers on the side of the court with 1:32 minutes still left on the clock.
Since joining UConn in 2020, Bueckers has amassed numerous accolades, including the 2021 Naimsmith College Player of the Year, multiple All-American honors, and now a national title. Injuries slowed her momentum in 2022 and 2023, but her return in 2024 and dominance in 2025 proved her resilience and star power. This season, she averaged 19.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game.
Auriemma has been with UConn since 1985 and has guided the Huskies to win 12 titles. So while the world saw tears and hugs on the court, inside those UConn locker room walls, there was a reminder: Greatness demands more.
However, Bueckers wasn’t the only one to experience this side of Auriemma.
Rebecca Lobo Had Also Witnessed the Same Nature
Lobo joined UConn’s women’s basketball program in 1991, becoming one of the early stars who helped shape the Huskies into a national powerhouse. She played four seasons under coach Auriemma.
Just like Bueckers, Lobo, too, witnessed Auriemma’s intense and no-nonsense approach. Despite being a standout player and later leading UConn to their first-ever national championship, Lobo wasn’t immune to Auriemma’s tough mentality.
“The thing that was interesting to me was it was 30 years since our team won the championship, and the night after we won, we all ended up in coach’s room and he’d like put the VHS tape of our game on and he starts giving all of us s*** after just winning him his first national championship.”
“And I felt like I was in a time warp. Like, 30 years ago it was me he was giving crap to. Tonight, it’s Paige; she just won a championship, but he’s already said to her, ‘Go sit over by her because you guys only have one,'” added Lobo.
Lobo helped lead UConn to its first national championship in 1995. That season, she averaged 17.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game, guiding the Huskies to a perfect 35-0 record. Her legacy set the standard for generations of UConn stars to follow.