Paige Bueckers: A fairytale ending to her record-breaking collegiate career

“The final Paige in the book of Bueckers is title number 12 for UConn!” These words rang loud at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. as senior Paige “Buckets” won the NCAA championship in her last game as a University of Connecticut (UConn) Husky. 

UConn beat the South Carolina Gamecocks 82-59. The 23-point victory margin is tied for the third largest in NCAA championship game history, with previous UConn wins holding both the first and second place spots with 33 and 31 points respectively.

Bueckers has had an outstanding collegiate career. She was the number one overall recruit in 2020 and even broke record after record in both women’s and men’s D1 basketball history.

Bueckers was the first freshman to earn the Naismith Trophy, Wooden Award, AP Player of the Year, and USBWA National Player of the Year. 

At the basketball capital of the world, UConn, Bueckers’ name will be remembered among the greats. She has the third highest career points in UConn history with 2,439, behind only Maya Moore and Breanna Stewart. She was also number one in scoring average at 19.8 points per game. 

Bueckers is the Huskies’ top scorer in an NCAA tournament with 477 points. In this year’s tournament, Bueckers put up a career high and a UConn record of 40 points in a single game against Oklahoma in the Sweet Sixteen round. 

UConn’s “Big Three” of Bueckers, Azzi Fudd, and Sarah Strong all had strong performances throughout the NCAA tournament. The three all made the 2025 NCAA All-Tournament team, and Fudd took home the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.

In the championship game, Bueckers scored 17 points on 5 of 14 shooting. She also made three assists, six rebounds, two blocks, and one steal. Fudd and Strong tied for the most points in the title game with 24 points each. 

The Huskies held the Gamecocks to just 59 points, and all South Carolina players scored 10 or fewer points. 

The UConn Huskies and Paige Bueckers have been synonymous for the last five years — and for good reason. Bueckers led UConn to its 12th national title after a nine-year drought, battling many injuries along the way. 

Bueckers sustained a tibial plateau fracture and lateral meniscus tear her sophomore year in a game against Notre Dame on Dec. 5, 2021. She later tore her ACL during a pickup game and missed the entire 2022-23 season, returning at the start of the next season in November. 

Now with a national title under her belt, Bueckers heads to the WNBA as the predicted number-one draft pick to go to the Dallas Wings. The WNBA draft will be held on April 14. 

If drafted first overall, Bueckers will be the sixth Husky to do so. Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Tina Charles, and Breanna Stewart are the first five, and have all had amazing careers in the WNBA. 

Bueckers is UConn, and UConn is Bueckers. She will remain in the history books at UConn and in collegiate basketball.

Stay golden, Buckets.