The Dallas Wings are riding high after selecting Paige Bueckers in the WNBA draft. While Bueckers is looking ahead to what is anticipated to be a high-profile rookie season, UConn hasn't left her heart or mind.  

Scott Polacek of Bleacher Report reported that Bueckers expressed a sense of “pride” playing for one of the most storied programs in history. She talked about her place among UConn's greatest players. 

“You feel a sense of pride to be able to follow in their footsteps,” she said. “Every single time you put on the UConn uniform, you're representing something so much bigger than yourself. The legacies from the alums have paved the way for us. They taught us how to do it. They showed us how to do it. They've been through everything that we have. Just being able to lean on them and lean on their support. Just knowing they got through some of the tough times and the people who went to UConn have gone on to be some of the greatest basketball players to ever live. So just seeing that and being a part of that, you just want to live up to that and be half as good as they were. It's really inspiring to just look around the gym and look around this building.”

Bueckers is coming off her best college season, culminating in UConn winning its 12th national championship in program history. She averaged 19.8 points per game and shot 53.1% from the field. 

After winning the title, her warm embrace of coach Geno Auriemma became an indelible image that spoke to what she has meant to the program. 

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Paige Buecker's place in UConn history 

Bueckers joins a litany of greats from UConn, including Rebecca Lobo, Maya Moore, Sue Bird, and Breanna Stewart. These players had stellar careers in the WNBA and on the international stage. 

Bueckers is poised to follow in their footsteps with the Wings, by relying on her all-around style of play. Her achievements at UConn equal those of these legendary players. 

She was the first freshman to win the AP Naismith Player of the Year, the Wooden Award, and the AP Player of the Year in 2020. Beuckers is also the fastest player in the program to achieve 2,000 career points.