TAMPA, Fla. — On the last day of her college basketball career, Paige Bueckers became a national champion.
The game wasn’t quite over when Bueckers, the UConn star and projected No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft, checked out for the final time. But with the Huskies holding a comfortable lead over South Carolina in the national championship, she knew this was it. Bueckers buried her face on coach Geno Auriemma’s shoulder and all the emotions she had bottled up the entire day were finally coming out in the form of tears.
Auriemma told Bueckers he loved her and didn’t let go until she was ready — ready to officially say goodbye to an incredible five-year journey. A minute and a half later, UConn won its 12th national championship with a dominant 82-59 victory over South Carolina.
Bueckers covered her face in the final seconds and revealed a big smile. Her teammates were jumping up and down next to her in anticipation, but she tried to stay still. As soon as the final buzzer went off, they all ran to the center of the court to celebrate.
Her career started with a historic freshman year but was disrupted with injuries, including a torn ACL that sidelined her for the entire 2022-23 season. It was a roller coaster ride with some heavy expectations to carry, but she was grateful for it all.
“It’s been a story of resilience, of gratitude, of adversity, of overcoming adversity,” Bueckers said. “…And just an overwhelming sense of gratitude for everything that’s happened through the ups and downs, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
Bueckers stood on the stage with her arms raised while confetti rained on her. A few minutes later she was climbing the ladder to get a piece of the net that finally meant she was joining other UConn greats in the history books. She got close to winning a championship in 2022, but South Carolina got the best of the Huskies that day.
UConn is the most successful program in women’s basketball history, but had not won a national title since 2016. WNBA star Breanna Stewart was on that Huskies’ roster, and she was part of the sold-out crowd in Tampa.
Cutting down the net wasn’t just something Bueckers wanted, it was something that has come to be expected for this program. Bueckers is declaring for the 2025 WNBA Draft, which meant winning a national championship was now or never for her.
“People all like to say that choosing UConn is an easy choice but I think it is one of the hardest decisions you can make in you life,” Bueckers said in February.
The pressure she alluded to was on full display earlier on Sunday.
Outside Amalie Arena two hours before tip off, fans awaited patiently in the Florida heat to see players walk on the red carpet. Everywhere you turned there were girls wearing Bueckers’ iconic hairstyle. There were also too many signs to count — including one from a former high school rival who admitted Bueckers “cooked” her in a game and had a picture to prove it.
It was loud, very loud, but Bueckers was in her own bubble — one that seemed quiet despite the outside noise. She smiled and high-fived fans who were constantly screaming her name, but it was clear she was not fully relaxed. For a significant part of that red carpet walk, she was looking straight ahead or straight down, pretending the cameras were not there.
Her face also didn’t say a whole lot during pregame warmups. She hit her last shot from halfcourt but instead of celebrating she ran straight to the locker room.
Bueckers had played in many college games before — 122 to be exact — but there was a noticeable tension to this particular pregame routine. Before the national anthem, she headed to the bench and started taking off her jacket, not realizing her teammates were all lined up with their jackets on. It was a small little detail, but everything matters when you play for UConn. Associate head coach Chris Dailey got her attention and Bueckers quickly put it back on and joined her team.
The game tipped off and her first shot was a miss.
The crowd kept waiting for Bueckers to find her rhythm and completely take over the game, but that didn’t quite happen. Although she finished the day with 17 points, it wasn’t her most dominant game. That being said, she was still one of the leading scorers for the Huskies and the energy that has made her so special was there all 40 minutes.
A rebound by Bueckers late in the third quarter and a foul she drew got one of the loudest reactions from the crowd. Auriemma clapped for a good 10 seconds after that hustle play. She had several of those moments, including an and-one less than three minutes into the fourth quarter. When she was on the floor, her teammates celebrated around her and the crowd made it sound like the game was over.
Bueckers has been the biggest cheerleader for her teammates and on Sunday, Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong were the key players who made sure she left college on a high note. Fudd finished the day 24 points and earned the Most Outstanding Player honors. Strong also had a standout performance with 24 points and 15 rebounds.
Bueckers might have not been the hero during her last game, but it all happened like it was supposed to. Fudd and Strong tend to shy away during press conferences and make Bueckers answer most questions, but this will be their team next year and Sunday was a nice way to pass the torch.
For Bueckers, it was a perfect ending.
“It’s been a great summary of what we have been this entire season of being a team, staying connected,” she said. “…It’s destiny and obviously I have a great faith, so I believe God planned it perfectly in the way that it went out.”
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