Paige Bueckers is putting on a show in this year’s NCAA Tournament, and not even UConn legends Sue Bird or Diana Taurasi have done what she just accomplished.
Against Oklahoma Sooners in the Sweet 16, Bueckers delivered a record-breaking performance, dropping 40 points and setting a new UConn NCAA Tournament record. But that’s just part of her historic run.
Bueckers’ March Madness Brilliance Is One for the Ages
Bueckers has always been special, but now she’s in now in the league of her own. According to ESPN’s Alexa Philippou, she just became the first player in UConn history to record three 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 in a single March Madness run.
Paige Bueckers now the only player in UConn history with back-to-back-to-back 30-point games.
Actually, she's now done it twice.
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou)
For perspective, Taurasi, a three-time WNBA champion, never did it. Bird, widely considered one of the greatest point guards of all time, didn’t either. Yet here’s Bueckers, rewriting the history books while leading UConn’s charge toward another Final Four.
Her 40-point performance against Oklahoma was nothing short of dominant. She hit shots from everywhere, controlled the game, and completely overwhelmed the Sooners’ defense in an 82-59 rout. It was her second straight 30+ point game, following a 34-point masterclass in UConn’s win over South Dakota State in the Round of 32.
Her first 30-point NCAA Tournament outing came last year in the Sweet 16 when she put up 32 points against Syracuse Orange. Now, with three career 30-point March Madness games, she stands alone at the top of UConn’s record books.
Buckers Is Swiftly Climbing The UConn Scoring List
Bueckers isn’t just making history in March Madness, she’s climbing UConn’s all-time scoring list at a rapid pace as well. Earlier this season, she became the fastest player in program history to reach 2,000 career points, something even Taurasi and Bird couldn’t do.
She was No. 4 on UConn’s all-time scoring list, having passed Katie Lou Samuelson and Tina Charles, and 27 points away from surpassing Napheesa Collier before UConn’s Elite Eight matchup against USC. She scored 31 points and surpassed Collier to claim the third all-time scorer record in Huskies women’s basketball history.
At 23 years old, Bueckers has nothing left to prove at the college level. She’s already made her decision—she’s declaring for the 2025 WNBA Draft, where she’s expected to be the No. 1 overall pick on April 14. With WNBA teams like the Dallas Wings, Seattle Storm, Washington Mystics, Los Angeles Sparks, and Indiana Fever eyeing her as a potential franchise-changing player, the next step in her journey is already set.
But before she leaves for the pros, she has one final goal – leading UConn to another national championship. Given what she’s already accomplished, who’s betting against her?
