Paige Bueckers is proving, night after night, that she belongs among the greatest to ever play college basketball. With another outstanding performance, the UConn superstar led the Huskies back to where they’ve been so many times before: the Final Four, and rewriting the record books along the way.
But there’s still one record that remains out of reach—Caitlin Clark’s NCAA tournament scoring mark.
Paige Bueckers’ Historic Run Continues
On Monday (March 31) night, No. 2 seed UConn faced off against No. 1 seed USC Trojans in the Elite Eight, a matchup that had all the makings of a classic.
But the Trojans were missing their biggest weapon— Sophomore phenom JuJu Watkins, who suffered a heartbreaking season-ending knee injury in the second round. Even without their star, USC fought hard, but they simply had no answer for Bueckers.
The 23-year-old is no stranger to big moments, but this one felt special. Over the past three games, she’s poured in 105 points which is more than any UConn player in history over a three-game NCAA tournament span. That’s right, even the likes of Breanna Stewart, Maya Moore, and Diana Taurasi never pulled off a run like this.
The elite point guard put on another show, dropping 31 points, dishing out six assists, and knocking down four three-pointers in a commanding 78-64 win. This marks UConn’s second straight Final Four appearance and the 24th in program history under legendary head coach Geno Auriemma.
With her latest performance, Bueckers has officially entered an exclusive club of NCAA tournament greats. She now sits fifth on the all-time NCAA tournament scoring list, amassing 444 points across her tournament career.
Most PTS in the NCAA tournament:
492 — Caitlin Clark (17 GP)
479 — Chamique Holdsclaw (22 GP)
476 — Maya Moore (22 GP)
446 — Breanna Stewart (23 GP)
444 — Paige Bueckers (20 GP) https://t.co/STwElDD6WL— StatMamba (@StatMamba)
The names ahead of her? Breanna Stewart (446), Maya Moore (476), Chamique Holdsclaw (479), and Caitlin Clark, who sits comfortably at No. 1 with a jaw-dropping 492 points in just 17 tournament games.
Bueckers Continues To Break Records
Previously, she just became the first player in UConn history to record four career 30-point games in the NCAA Tournament. Not only that, but she’s also the only Husky ever to have back-to-back 30-point games and multiple 30-point games in a single March Madness run.
Clark’s record is still a ways away, but Bueckers is inching closer to cementing her own place in history. With her performance against USC, Bueckers passed UConn legend Napheesa Collier with 2,402 points, becoming the third-highest scorer in program history.
With the Final Four now set, Bueckers and the Huskies will take on UCLA on Friday, April 4. If she can keep up this level of dominance, she might just put Clark’s record in serious danger before it’s all said and done.
