Paige Bueckers isn't focused on defining her legacy ahead of her final college game. Instead, the UConn women's basketball senior guard is emphasizing her relationships, growth and team-first mentality as the Huskies prepare to face South Carolina in Sunday’s NCAA national championship.

Bueckers was asked Saturday whether winning a title would cement her place in basketball history. The projected No. 1 pick in the upcoming WNBA draft deferred to other.

“I don’t think that’s up to me. I think that’s up to the people who, I guess, get to decide if people’s legacies are cemented or whatever,” Bueckers said, as reported by Fred Goodall of the Associated Press. “But I’m not worried about that at all.”

The senior added that the experience of playing at UConn and the bonds she’s built over the years are what matter most.

“The thing I take great joy and great pride in is the relationships, the experiences, the journeys we’ve gone on throughout the team,” she said. “All the stuff we’ve been through and how much it’s made us stronger.”

Does Paige Bueckers need a title to validate her career?

Bueckers scored 16 points in the 85-51 win over UCLA, helping UConn reach its first championship game since 2022. The Huskies previously defeated South Carolina by 29 points in February.

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South Carolina coach Dawn Staley doesn’t believe Bueckers needs a title to validate her career.

“She’s a great player, but just because you’re a great player doesn’t mean you need to win the national championship to legitimize it. Paige is legit. She was legit from the moment she stepped on this stage or prior to, in Minnesota,” Staley said.

“Her career is legendary,” she added. “She will leave a legacy at UConn whether she wins one or not.”

For Bueckers, Sunday’s game represents more than just the chance at a national title.

“Really, the journey is the reward for me. And I never take it for granted being able to play here and put on this uniform,” Bueckers said the night before the title game.

“Whatever talks of legacy and whatever, I guess that’s not up to me,” she said. “All I can worry about and control is who I am every single day and who we are as a team. That’s all I’m worried about.”