Paige Bueckers is one of the biggest names in Women’s College Basketball, and for good reason. She is one of the top players in the league and brings an intensity to the court not many players can match. There’s no wonder that fans of the University of Connecticut were anxious at the question of her remaining at UConn for her fourth season of eligibility. Luckily, she finally gave us her answer.
via @paigebueckers on Instagram
Bueckers has been a name discussed in Women’s Basketball for quite some time now, ever since she was the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2020 and clips of her playing at Hopkins High School went viral on Instagram and TikTok her senior year.
During just her first year at UConn, she led the Huskies in points, steals, and assists, and even led them to their 19th Big East Championship and to the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball semifinals. As a standout player, Bueckers received a long list of awards, including both Big East Player and Freshman of the Year and First Team All-American from the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), Associated Press (AP), and United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA).
via NCAA Photos
After a historic freshman season, Bueckers started the 2021-2022 season with a bang, netting a career-high of 34 points in the season opener. Her success continued with the season until a knee injury caused her to miss 19 games. Bueckers had a quick turn around, returning towards the end of the season and helping her team reach the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Finals, unfortunately resulting in a loss to the University of Southern Carolina.
In a pick-up game in early August of 2022, Bueckers tore her ACL, forcing her to sit out of the entirety of the 2022-2023 season. She returned to the court for the 2023-24 season, and so far has been performing exceptionally, averaging 20.1 points per game, 3.9 assists, and 2.2 steals.
via Greg Fiume
I was thrilled to be able to attend the Senior Night game against Georgetown, held at Gampel Pavilion on February 16, resulting in an 85-44 victory for the Huskies. Post-game, fans eagerly anticipated what new Bueckers had in store– and were hoping for an affirmative message of her return. She began the speech speaking of her time at UConn and thanked the fans and supporters that have stood behind her through all the hardships she has faced. "I know everybody wants me to address the elephant in the room,” Bueckers started. “Unfortunately. . ." the arena silenced quickly and everyone held their breath. "This will not be my last Senior Night here at UConn because I'm coming back!" Gampel Pavilion shook from the cheers and fans jumping with joy to hear that Bueckers is back for more. UConn will not be saying goodbye to the face of their Women’s Basketball team just yet.
Edited by Emilia Morello
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