South Carolina women's basketball head coach Dawn Staley hailed UConn women's basketball star Paige Bueckers as “the most elite player women’s basketball has ever offered.” Known for being choosy with her words, as well as a deep respect for the game and its players, Staley's praise of Bueckers comes as the UConn guard's performances continue to capture national attention.
Bueckers, already a household name and one of the nation's top shooters, has had an outstanding season despite the challenge of returning from injury. Her recent contributions have been integral to UConn's progress to the Sweet 16, showcasing not only her skill but also her resilience and determination. In a recently released clip from the NCAA Division 1 women's X account, LSU's Hailey Van Lith, Flau’jae Johnson and Staley unanimously praise Bueckers for her talent.
“Paige is great. I think Paige is probably the elitist basketball player to ever grace our game. You look at her efficiency — she doesn’t take bad shots,” Staley said.
"She doesn't take bad shots."
Some of the best talking about one of the best in Rooted Episode 3.#NCAAWBB x @UConnWBB
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🔗 https://t.co/LTI38oyQWm pic.twitter.com/G6GBFveR1J— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) March 27, 2024
UConn's advancement in the NCAA women's tournament has been, in large part, thanks to Bueckers' stellar gameplay, particularly evident in their 72-64 victory over a determined Syracuse team Monday in the second round. UConn's head coach Geno Auriemma did not hold back in his praise for his star player, confidently declaring her “the best player in America.” Auriemma's high praise is backed-up by analytics and performance, as evidenced by Bueckers' impressive stats: 32 points, 10 assists, and six rebounds against Syracuse alone.
Paige Bueckers draws comparisons to Iowa's Caitlin Clark
In the 2023-24 regular season, Bueckers averaged 21.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists over 35 games. She has since exceeded these averages in the NCAA Tournament, showing off her ability to elevate her game when it counts the most.
Comparisons naturally arise in the sports world, and many draw parallels between Bueckers and Iowa's Caitlin Clark, another contender for the title of the country's best player. While Clark boasts the record as the NCAA's all-time leading scorer, her first-round tournament stats are remarkably similar to Bueckers'. Such similarities lay the groundwork for a potentially legendary matchup should both their teams make it to the Final Four.
However, it's not just Bueckers and Clark who are making waves in women's NCAA tournament. USC's JuJu Watkins has also been playing at an exceptionally high level, evidenced by her tournament debut, where she helped the Trojans to a 87-55 first-round victory over the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, adding 23 points, four assists and five rebounds. In the second-round game vs. Kansas, Watkins put up 28 points to help propel the Trojans to their first Sweet 16 appearance in 30 years.
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