For many, March is a time to crawl out of winter and step into a nicer spring weather. But for athletes, this is a time of countless hours watching one of the most intense tournaments: March Madness. Yes, the women’s bracket too.
On the third Sunday of March, the NCAA releases the rankings of each qualifying team. Shortly after, begin the back to back to back games of endless basketball. It is a time for friends and family to come together and enjoy a good game. A time when many are left on the edge of their seats. A time when people eagerly make their brackets, hoping to have their team make it to the final. That’s the question everyone ponders- who will win? In this case, who will be the one to get it done?
The University of Connecticut (UCONN) is known for their amazing athletic program, particularly their basketball program. In the past, both mens and womens teams have not only been some of the greatest teams in the NCAA, but have also had the pleasure of coaching some very accomplished players such as Ray Allen, Brianna Stewart, Maya Moore, Andre Drummond, and Diana Taurasi.
Specifically the women have one thing in common, and that’s that they were all coached by Geno Aurieamma, UCONN women’s basketball coach for 40 years. According to the UCONN Huskies Athletic Page, Geno has surpassed 1,217 career victories as well as 23 Final Four appearances, six perfect seasons, 59 conference championships and 11 NCAA championships. He came to a team that only had one winning season to this empire that many fear. The last championship he won was in 2016, which leaves us wondering, will he do it again before he retires? And our lottery question, who will be the one to get it done? Two words: Paige Bueckers.
The 6 foot recruit from Hopkins, Minnesota, Paige Bueckers, is arguably one of the best players in the class of 2024. Though she graduated last year, Paige announced that she would be returning to UCONN for her 5th season last fall due to her “family camaraderie” and the love and support from the team. Bueckers had suffered from injuries in her early UCONN days, and had also wanted to make up for lost time.
Meanwhile, Bueckers former teammates such as Aaliya Edwards and Nika Muhl moved on to the WNBA. Throughout her basketball career, Paige has accomplished many things including earning many awards and titles in high school and internationally: and that was just the beginning. ESPN listed all of the achievements that Bueckers has had as well as her stats.
In her freshman year at UCONN, she had more awards than her international and high school combined! From that point on the girl from Minnesota has only gotten better. This season alone, Bueckers currently averages around 19 points a game, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals per game. From the field, she has 54% and at the three point line alone 41%. Bueckers has proved that she is resilient, skilled and most importantly, a leader. Could she be the one to get it done?
Athlon Sports added a quote on their article from Azzi Fudd, a senior guard at UCONN, which stated, “ It’s incredible to watch. You almost feel sorry for the other team… When Paige is locked in, there’s nothing you can do to stop her. It doesn’t matter what shot she takes. The ball is going to go in… She makes it look so easy. We all have all the trust in the world in her.”
So not only can Paige get it done on the court, but she has a whole team to support her and help her lead the team to the final. Bueckers is not alone on this journey. This UCONN team has shown that they possess much talent, and can help Bueckers on her mission to get it done. Based on their stats from this season, UCONN could potentially make it their year.
Though UCONN had a strong season last year, it wasn’t enough. Edwards was getting it done under the basket and Muhl was leading the team at the point. Bueckers had once again proved that there is a reason that she’s one of the best. They had a 33-6 record and as mentioned, an elite court. So what held them back last year? Well, Caitlin Clark did.
As we can recall, Clark was the best player in her draft class, even making the number one draft in the WNBA. She broke many records at Iowa and was a sniper from the three. It was a hard fought battle between the two best players in the country, the game itself had sold the most tickets in women’s history. Ultimately, Iowa took the W and excelled to the finals while UCONN returned to Connecticut.
This year, the Huskies have come back feeling hungry for a championship, especially after their loss last season. With a 33-3 record, 50% from the field, and an average of 80 points a game, this team has the potential to succeed. From the three point line alone, the team is 37%. Honestly, the Huskies have put together such a great team with great chemistry.
In a press conference, Auriemma stated, “One thing you can say about Paige is generally speaking, she saves her best basketball for the biggest moments. Nobody does it 100% of the time but she pretty much- you know you can count on that.”
So, there you have it. Her teammates can count on her, her coach can count on her, and she can count on herself to achieve her goal. Paige has shown that she is more than capable of leading her pack. So many young girls look up to Paige and are inspired by her work ethic.
For me, that’s all the confidence that Bueckers needs to guide her into the championship, knowing that so many people are cheering her on. All we can do is hope for the best as they face the number three seed Oklahoma and begin their journey in the Sweet 16 round. Paige has already broken records and made history at UCONN, let’s see if she can add a championship as the cherry on top.
