Mary Gilmore, Staff Writer
In the heated March Madness tournament, women’s teams UConn and Oklahoma faced off to advance to the Elite Eight. The game was incredibly close, but UConn player Paige Bueckers stepped up and scored a career-high 40 points to win 82-59.
The game was close, and by halftime, UConn was down 36-32. Huskies coach Geno Auriemma was unhappy with his team’s performance, especially with how star player Bueckers was doing. Bueckers, who scored 11 points in the first half, was told to focus on her defense to put pressure on the other team. Bueckers took that to heart and began playing with a clearer head. In the second half, Bueckers played fiercely, scoring 29 points for her team and bringing them to victory.
Geno Auriemma has been the head coach of the women’s UConn basketball team for about 40 years. In 2006, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. Auriemma has coached several impressive and famous athletes, like Breanna Stewart, Sue Bird, and Diana Taurasi. However, it can be argued that no player of his has been as famous as Paige Bueckers.
“Paige was spectacular. That was as good a game as I’ve seen her play the whole time she’s been here at the most important time,” Auriemma said. “When you’re a senior and you’ve been around as long as she has, this is what you’re here to do, this is why you came here. So we’re pretty excited about playing Monday night.”
Bueckers has been taking the spotlight for years for her skills, but she became known to many all over the world during last year’s basketball season. It’s hard to tell exactly why the rise to fame occurred, but women’s basketball fans began obsessing over Paige Bueckers and Iowa player Caitlin Clark. Both players were being posted all over social media in viral videos and edits. These videos became especially popular during last year’s Final Four game between Iowa and UConn, where Bueckers and Clark played against each other. Iowa snubbed the win of 71-69 in an extremely close game.
While Clark has since moved on to the WNBA, Bueckers is now a senior at UConn. Just like Clark last year, Bueckers is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft that will be held next month. ESPN stated that after the draft lottery in December, a source indicated that Bueckers’ preferred destination would be the Los Angeles Sparks. In the 2024 season, the Sparks had a record of 8-32.
UConn is set to face USC in the Elite Eight on March 31. USC, known for its intense defense and sharp perimeter shooting, will pose a significant challenge for UConn. While UConn has the best coach and player in the nation, the entire team will have to bring their best game to the court. Since the Final Four is where UConn lost last year, we can expect to see high levels of energy and determination in the coming weeks. This match resulted in a victory for UConn, and they are going to be playing in the March Madness finals.
Leave a Reply