UConn star Paige Bueckers shines in farewell home game as Huskies vie for national championship

The second-seeded UConn Huskies entered this year's women's NCAA Tournament with precocious expectations. 

Huskies defender Paige Bueckers' 34 points led the squad to Monday's triumph implicit South Dakota State successful the 2nd circular successful Storrs. The 91-57 triumph punched UConn's summons to the Sweet 16, wherever the Huskies volition conscionable No. 3 Oklahoma.

The crippled besides marked the past clip Bueckers would instrumentality the tribunal astatine the Gampel Pavilion successful a UConn uniform.

Bueckers addressed the Huskies faithful moments aft Monday's game. 

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UConn Huskies defender Paige Bueckers (5) talks to the assemblage aft defeating the South Dakota State Jackrabbits astatine Harry A. Gampel Pavilion successful Storrs, Conn., March 24, 2025. (David Butler II/Imagn Images)

"It means everything," Bueckers said arsenic she stood astatine halfway tribunal holding a microphone. "We started playing present with cardboard cutouts arsenic the fans, truthful conscionable to person gone done that and past experienced the different broadside of it, which was amazing. The ambiance was amazing. You can’t adjacent perceive timeouts, can’t adjacent perceive fouls, can’t adjacent perceive erstwhile the whistle blows conscionable due to the fact that of however large they are and however overmuch enactment they show.

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"It’s been a imagination to play here, a imagination to deterioration this uniform, a imagination to play successful this environment. As overmuch much times you privation this to proceed to happen, you conscionable instrumentality each azygous accidental you person and ne'er instrumentality it for granted."

UConn Huskies defender Paige Bueckers exits the level aft defeating the South Dakota State Jackrabbits astatine Harry A. Gampel Pavilion successful Storrs, Conn., March 24, 2025. (David Butler II/Imagn Images)

The triumph implicit South Dakota State besides secured the Huskies' 31st consecutive Sweet 16 appearance. While UConn had a sluggish commencement to Monday's game, Bueckers scored the Huskies' last 10 points of the archetypal quarter.

"It is unthinkable to watch," UConn defender Azzi Fudd said. "You astir consciousness atrocious for the different squad erstwhile Paige is locked in. There is thing you tin bash to halt her. No substance what changeable she takes, the shot is going to spell in. It was amusive to ticker and spot what she does."

UConn Huskies defender Paige Bueckers (5) makes her past handbasket astatine Harry A. Gampel Pavilion against South Dakota State successful Storrs, Conn., March 24, 2025. (David Butler II/Imagn Images)

It has not been the easiest 5 years for Bueckers. She missed 1 play and was constricted to 17 games successful another. She has 1 past accidental to triumph a nationalist title earlier going to the WNBA, apt arsenic the No. 1 wide prime successful the draft.

"When you’re successful precocious school, it seems truthful easy, you know? I spell to UConn and triumph a nationalist championship," longtime UConn caput manager Geno Auriemma said. "The world hits, and you recognize it’s incredibly hard to bash that. So, I don’t privation anyone to consciousness little than afloat erstwhile they permission present if they don’t person a nationalist championship.

"She’s enactment herself successful that presumption that if she leaves present without winning one, she’s going to consciousness little than full. I don’t consciousness that mode and, arsenic I said, she’s doing things that nary one’s ever done before. She’s had to bash a batch for america the full clip she’s been here, and she’s getting rewarded. Everything that you each person said astir her, that everybody’s written astir her, it’s each true."

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There volition beryllium a clip erstwhile Bueckers volition bespeak connected the memories of her clip playing successful Connecticut. She was not acceptable to see Monday’s triumph arsenic the last section of her UConn career.

"I’m definite we’ll person much clip to bespeak connected it erstwhile the play is over," Bueckers said. "Right now, we’re ace focused connected the contiguous but evidently conscionable highly grateful, and you can’t truly enactment into words however overmuch this spot has meant to me. I’m everlastingly indebted, and it’s go my 2nd home."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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