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UConn women's basketball head coach Geno Auriemma and star guard Paige Bueckers have quite the dynamic. The intense nature of the team has resulted in countless wins and conference championships. For instance, Auriemma called out immature UConn players during a game against Seton Hall.
Much of what he said was what players need to hear, not what they want to hear. Luckily Bueckers' mentality is one of a perfectionist. She feels that if she misses a shot, it's because something happened. Not because she missed it. That mentality is one that Auriemma loves about his star.
“There’s a delusional side of Paige that I love,” Auriemma said via Leah Faye Cooper of GQ Sports. “She has to know better, but she comes across as ‘I have never missed a shot; if I do miss, it’s because something happened. I have never fouled anybody in my life; the refs are always wrong.’ So there’s always this back-and-forth between me and her because I know what kids want.
“They want to do it their way, they want it to be a little easier. The only problem is, that’s not what they need. They need the struggle of it. They need to see what it feels like to make sacrifices, give up yourself, and have the failures that strengthen you and make you ready for those next steps in your life. That failure part I think is so important.”
Geno Auriemma helps Paige Bueckers and UConn women's basketball
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The Naismith Trophy winner has had plenty of accolades during her time in Stoors. For instance, Bueckers broke Diana Taurasi's UConn women's basketball scoring mark. That's an impressive accomplishment, considering that Taurasi is one of the best players in women's basketball history.
Bueckers echoed Auriemma's sentiment regarding doing what needs to be done within UConn women's basketball, even when you don't want to do it.
“He tells you what you don’t want to hear a lot of the time, and that’s sort of why you choose to come here,” Bueckers says. “I’ve always been a person who had excuses for things—a reason why I didn’t do this, a reason why I did do this.
“He’s really pushed me to break those habits and find no excuses.” Being a consummate team player is a strength she prides herself on, and this year, she says, Auriemma has also “challenged me to become a leader.”
As a result of that leadership, UConn women's basketball has a 26-3 and is fifth in the AP poll. Throughout the rest of the season, they'll continue to be heads and shoulders above the rest of the Big East. However, once the tournament starts, it could be where Auriemma's aggressive coaching style will pay dividends to his team.
