Paige Bueckers and the UConn women's basketball team is set to take on Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the national semifinal on Friday at the Final Four in Cleveland. With Clark set to go to the WNBA Draft after the season, and Bueckers already deciding on returning to UConn next season, Bueckers was asked about potentially being the face of women's college basketball. She said that the coverage should not just focus on her, and should be spread out to the other stars in the game.

“I think media coverage is important for the game, I think it grows the game,” Paige Bueckers said, via The Sporting News. “I know freshman year I was like the media darling. Everybody was like focused on me and what I did at UConn my freshman year, but I think it's more important for the game to share the spotlight. To grow the game and show all the stars of college basketball. Not just focus on one particular player, whether it be me, Caitlin, JuJu (Watkins), Angel (Reese). I mean, there's so many names in college basketball now that are huge, that are stars, that deserve credit. And I think it's not my job, the media can do a better job of just making sure everybody gets love. Everybody gets not equal amount of attention, but try to spread it out more. So I honestly hope next year I'm not the focal point and the only person that gets attention. I hope as media, as players, we can spread the love a little bit more.”

Paige Bueckers was the focal point of media coverage when she won the national player of the year award in her freshman year with the UConn women's basketball program and brought the Huskies to the Final Four. The following two seasons, she was hampered by injuries, and during that time Clark captured the attention with her incredible play at Iowa.

This Friday's game between UConn and Iowa will likely get a lot of eyeballs to see Bueckers and Clark go against each other. Clark is looking to finish her college career with a title, while Bueckers is hoping to help Geno Auriemma win his 12th title.

An early look at UConn's 2024-2025 squad

Bueckers can say she does not want all of the attention on her and UConn heading into next season, but the fact is that they will have high expectations. With Bueckers returning, the team should be in a great spot talent wise with injured players coming back.

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The UConn women's basketball team lost key rotational players in Azzi Fudd, Aubrey Griffin, Caroline Ducharme, Ayanna Patterson and Jana El Alfy to season-ending injuries. This has left the Huskies playing just seven or eight players each night this season. The return of Azzi Fudd is the most notable, as she is a very good shooter and capable of being a star player alongside her good friend Bueckers. But Griffin, Ducharme and Patterson all bring important aspects to the floor that UConn has been missing as well. El Alfy has not played at the college level yet, but she brings size that the Huskies could have used this season as well.

Aaliyah Edwards is departing for the WNBA after this season, and that will be a loss, but Geno Auriemma is trying to counteract that loss in recruiting. UConn is one of the final three schools in the running for No. 1 overall recruit Sarah Strong. Duke and North Carolina are the other schools under consideration. If UConn lands Strong, which is very possible, that would go along way towards filling the void in the frontcourt for the Huskies. El Alfy and Patterson returning from injury should help a lot with that as well.

If Strong decides to go elsewhere, Ice Brady is likely in line to take over the starting center spot. She has taken some lumps this season, but also shown flashes at time as well, including during UConn's Elite Eight win over USC. Brady getting help from Patterson and El Alfy in the frontcourt could be a recipe for success.

UConn does have the No. 4 recruit in guard Allie Ziebell and the No. 18 recruit in guard Morgan Cheli coming in next year as well. Those two, along with the maturation of young players like KK Arnold, Ashlyn Shade and Qadence Samuels, should give the Huskies more depth.

With players like Clark and Kamilla Cardoso departing from title contenders Iowa and South Carolina next season, along with Bueckers expected to have a better supporting cast, UConn will likely be viewed as one of the top national title contenders next season.