UConn coach Geno Auriemma's 3-word message to Paige Bueckers in emotional embrace after winning championship

Paige Bueckers is yet a champion.

After making each Final Four of her illustrious vocation but ne'er reaching the mountaintop, her last crippled astatine UConn ended with a nationalist title.

The Huskies earned their 12th rubric connected Sunday with an 82-59 triumph implicit the reigning champion South Carolina Gamecocks.

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Connecticut Huskies caput manager Geno Auriemma hugs defender Paige Bueckers during the 2nd fractional against the South Carolina Gamecocks successful the nationalist title of the women's 2025 NCAA tourney astatine Amalie Arena. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)

It's UConn's archetypal rubric since 2015, ending their longest drought since winning their archetypal rubric successful 1995.

Bueckers was taken retired of the crippled with 1:32 to spell successful the game, and she couldn't clasp her emotions arsenic she shared a agelong hug with caput manager Geno Auriemma.

Auriemma was asked by ESPN aft the crippled what helium said to his prima player, and helium kept it elemental portion holding backmost tears himself.

"I emotion you," helium said. "That's each you tin say."

Connecticut Huskies defender Paige Bueckers reacts during the archetypal fractional against the South Carolina Gamecocks successful the nationalist title of the women's 2025 NCAA tourney astatine Amalie Arena. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)

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Bueckers was aboriginal asked what she said backmost to her coach.

"I told him I hatred him," she joked.

It's been a roller coaster for Bueckers, whose vocation 19.9 points per crippled is the astir successful UConn history, which has elite alumni. But she tore her ACL successful 2022, forcing her to miss the full season.

Bueckers was portion of the lone squad successful UConn past to suffer a nationalist rubric crippled earlier she suffered the injury, and they didn't get retired of the Final Four past year.

But connected Sunday, she dropped 17 points en way to yet winning it all.

Connecticut Huskies defender Paige Bueckers looks to sprout the shot against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the archetypal fractional of the nationalist title of the women's 2025 NCAA tourney astatine Amalie Arena. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)

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Bueckers besides holds the UConn grounds for the astir points scored successful March Madness passim a career, a people that ranks 3rd all-time.

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