If Paige Bueckers declares, she will be touted as the first overall pick in the upcoming WNBA Draft. The point guard hasn’t revealed her intentions, but at this juncture, the actions of people around her are speaking louder than their words.
Such was the case after the UConn Huskies won their second-round game in the NCAA tournament, and an emotional Geno Auriemma showed his caring side to the world regarding Bueckers.
Geno Auriemma Contemplates Life Without Paige Bueckers at UConn
On Monday, March 24, UConn made light work of their opponents, South Dakota, by beating them 91-57 and advanced to the Sweet 16. Bueckers dominated the court, with 34 points, 3 rebounds, and four assists under her belt.
While everyone celebrated Bueckers’ awesome showing on the night, Auriemma couldn’t control his emotions. He has been coaching the Huskies for almost four decades but was fighting to hold back his tears after Bueckers left her post-match press conference.
The veteran coach understood that this could be the last time he has seen the 23-year-old play under him at the Gampel Pavillion. After Bueckers got up from her seat and the media members asked Auriemma a question, he could not answer before regaining his composure.
UConn head coach Geno Auriemma was visibly emotional as he watched Paige Bueckers leave her presser 🥹
She played her final home game last night as the Huskies advanced to the Sweet 16.
(via @MarchMadnessWBB)
pic.twitter.com/GkR64oFXq2— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 25, 2025
The 71-year-old coach stated that he is proud of Bueckers but wants her to understand that even if she doesn’t win the National Championship, it will not hurt her legacy in any way.
Bueckers Shares Her Feelings on Possibly Playing Her Last Home Game at UConn
The weight of the event was also on Bueckers’ shoulders, and she didn’t shy away from sharing her feelings. On previous occasions, the 2021 Player of the Year has hinted at her move to the WNBA, but after the win over South Dakota, she reminisced about her time at the Gampel Pavillion.
“It means everything,” Bueckers said. “We started playing here with cardboard cutouts as the fans, so just to have gone through that and then experienced the other side of it, which was amazing.”
“The atmosphere was amazing. You can’t even hear timeouts, can’t even hear fouls, can’t even hear the when the whistle blows just because of how loud they are and how much support they show.”
“It’s been a dream to play here, a dream to wear this uniform, a dream to play in this environment. As much more times you want this to continue to happen, you just take every single chance you have and never take it for granted.”
Bueckers will be in action on Saturday, March 29, when UConn faces Oklahoma in the Sweet 16 round.