The hype train for Paige Bueckers is growing day by day, and it has even reached the NBA. Miami Heat assistant coach Caron Butler was seen wearing Buecker’s UConn jersey at practice for the Heat.
Paige Bueckers’ Impact in the World of Basketball
Bueckers has had the basketball world in a chokehold. In her freshman season at UConn, she was the first player at UConn to earn major postseason awards as a freshman, such as AP Player of the Year and Naismith College Player of the Year, in 2021.
Bueckers has been on an absolute tear this season for the Huskies, averaging just over 20 points and nearly five assists a game. Bueckers is expected to be the No. 1 draft pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, which belongs to the Dallas Wings.
Bueckers has also been one of the players to help increase viewership throughout the regular season for NCAA women’s basketball in recent years. Last season, viewership for the women’s March Madness tournament was higher than viewership for the men’s tournament.
The head coach for the UConn Huskies women’s team, Geno Auriemma, is known for producing a lot of the top talent throughout the WNBA. Some players that have played for Auriemma include Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi, and Sue Bird, and they have gone on to win championships in the WNBA.
READ MORE: Every UConn Alumnus Who Dominated the WNBA and Won a Championship
Some of these players have been noted as some of the greatest women’s basketball players of all time. Bueckers has faced a lot of adversity throughout her collegiate career. An injury sidelined Bueckers for part of her sophomore season, and a torn ACL forced Bueckers to sit out for her entire junior year. However, she fought to make a return to the court, and now she is performing at a level higher than she ever has.
You can catch Bueckers in action when UConn faces UCLA in the women’s March Madness tournament on Friday, April 4, at 9 p.m. ET.
Who Is Caron Butler?
Butler is a former NBA player who played for several teams throughout his professional career. Before the NBA, he was a star player for the UConn Huskies from 2000 to 2002. He averaged 15.3 points and 7.6 rebounds a game during his freshman year, and in his sophomore year, he averaged 20.3 points and 7.5 rebounds a game.
He led UConn to an Elite Eight appearance his sophomore year, but they lost to Maryland, who won the March Madness tournament that year. Shortly after, he declared for the NBA Draft and was selected in the first round.
