The UConn women's basketball program faced a fiery Syracuse Orange team in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies won 72-64 off a standout performance from star guard Paige Bueckers. Her March Madness contributions have drawn tremendous praise from Head Coach Geno Auriemma.
Auriemma spoke to reporters after the Huskies' nail-biting finish on Monday and paid Bueckers the ultimate honor.
“We have the best player in America. Just saying that because the numbers, in this world of analytics, say she is. And the stat sheet says that she is. And everybody that watched knows it,” Auriemma claimed, per UConn on SNY.
Bueckers certainly filled up the stat sheet on Monday night. She fed the Syracuse women's basketball squad a plethora of offensive moves, finishing with 32 points, 10 assists, and six rebounds. Some may argue with Auriemma's claim, but Bueckers is in a class of her own.
The Huskies head coach glowed when speaking about the star guard's love for the game and selflessness.
“Paige is a fun-loving kid who does play basketball for the joy of it. Not for the adulation that comes with it. She's playing for her teammates and she plays for the love of the game…I have so much respect for her and what she's doing. I can't say enough good things about her,” Auriemma added.
Auriemma recalled practices where Bueckers was sometimes the only person to make a shot during a five-minute shooting drill stretch. Her display encouraged her teammates to keep shooting with confidence despite their cold slump.
UConn continues to dance under the leadership of Bueckers, and they do not appear to be stopping anytime soon.
How far can Paige Bueckers take the Huskies?
Bueckers added credence to Geno Auriemma's “best player in America” claim against Syracuse, but her first-round performance was equally impressive. She led UConn to an 86-64 victory over the Jackson State Tigers with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists.
Her March Madness eruption is not surprising given her talent level, but admittedly, it is a great step above what some expected.
Bueckers averaged 21.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.8 assists through 35 games in the 2023-24 regular season. She has risen well above each of those stat categories during the NCAA Tournament. Moreover, her leadership proves she has what it takes to carry UConn far.
The Syracuse women's basketball squad made a scary run during the fourth quarter on Monday. They trimmed a 10-point lead down to three with 1:12 left in the game. Despite missing a jumper with a minute left, Bueckers secured two key defensive rebounds and allowed the Huskies to seal the game.
Bueckers' clutch play is earning her well-deserved props and leaves an important question on the table.
Who is truly America's top guard?
Most fans likely see Iowa's Caitlin Clark as the best player in the country. After all, she is the NCAA's all-time leading scorer. She puts up points effortlessly and dishes assists with ease. Yet, her first-round March Madness stats are strikingly comparable to Paige Bueckers'.
Clark amassed 27 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds in Iowa's 91-65 win over the Holy Cross Crusaders. It would interesting to see how the superstar guard would fare against Bueckers. Fans could see a legendary matchup if the Hawkeyes and the Huskies advance to the Final Four.
Nevertheless, Clark and Bueckers are not the only ones making headlines.
USC guard JuJu Watkins competes at an exceptionally high level as well. The freshman helped the Trojans to an 87-55 first-round victory over the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders. She scored 23 points, four assists, and five rebounds in the matchup.
In early February, Watkins recorded a historical 51-point game in a 67-58 win over the Cameron Brink-led Stanford Cardinal. If she catches such fire again in the Tournament, teams will be in trouble.
All in all, it will be interesting to see which star leads their team to the ultimate prize.
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