- Paige Bueckers is good at basketball.
- Like, really, really good at basketball.
- She’s so good that she’s doing something that no UConn player has done before – and she’s still just a freshman.
- Visit the Insider home page for more stories.
We need to talk about Paige Bueckers.
The UConn freshman froze on Monday night against South Carolina’s No. 1 Gamecocks in spectacular fashion, draining a three-point dagger with 10.8 seconds remaining in overtime to give the Huskies their biggest win of the season.
Paige Bueckers celebrates her three-point victory to take down South Carolina’s No. 1 Gamecocks.
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
As with most things in Paige Bueckers, there was some sorcery involved. The 19-year-old’s kick bounced off the back of the rim, bouncing about two meters in the air above the backboard before hitting the net.
“THE MAGIC OF BUECKERS PAIGE!”
—BIG EAST WBB (@BIGEASTWBB) February 9, 2021
Whether you consider witchcraft, magic or some other amorphous noun, Bueckers’ command for the game undoubtedly has an intangible quality. Monday night’s photo was just the culmination of her brilliance, and that didn’t go unnoticed by those who saw her play – including some of the women’s basketball titans.
“When you watch Paige play, the first thing is that Paige has a talent for the game and a talent for her,” UConn legend and WNBA superstar Sue Bird told Insider last summer. “It can impact in many different ways at that guard point.”
—UConn women’s basketball (@UConnWBB) February 9, 2021
Since the beginning of his university career, Bueckers has done just that. His 17-point performance, nine rebounds, five assists and five steals on his debut at the Huskies were just a taste of what was to come from the much-vaunted freshman. She scored double digits in all but one of 14 games and averaged 5.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists.
And for every turnaround she has yielded so far, she has made peace with a theft; she averages 2.6 per game in both categories.
“It’s still crazy for me,” said Bueckers, on ESPN. “Just the blessings I received, just the opportunities I received. It’s all so crazy to me that I’m here playing at my dream school in big games like this with an incredible team and coaching staff. Day, every second, every minute, I am super grateful to be here. “
Paige Bueckers.
AP Photo / Michael Woods
Now that she’s been on Geno Auriemma’s team for a few months, she’s in a tear like never before at UConn. Bueckers has scored over 30 points in his last three games – including a 31-point display against the best Gamecocks on Monday night – making it the only player in the history of the program to reach the 30 point mark in three consecutive games.
—Rebecca Lobo (@RebeccaLobo) February 9, 2021
“Lately, she has driven more of what we are doing instead of following,” Auriemma told Hartford Courant, Alex Philippou, on Friday after Bueckers’ 30-point drop at Marquette. “I think she is pushing and leading a little bit.”
“And she is being Paige,” he added. “She is being as good a player as there is in the country now.”
Geno Auriemma watches Paige Bueckers dribble the ball to the ground.
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Many of the most brilliant talents in women’s basketball passed through Storrs en route to the WNBA. But none of them – Bird, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Swin Cash, Tina Charles, Jennifer Rizzotti, Rebecca Lobo, Renee Montgomery, Moriah Jefferson, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Morgan Tuck, Gabby Williams and Breanna Stewart included – have achieved the latest feat of Bueckers.
And she managed to do that just 14 games in her career.
“She is that player,” said Auriemma after Bueckers’ presentation on Monday night. “She’s that player that people say – ‘Hey, did you see that boy from Connecticut?’ She is that child. “