SI

Cameras Caught Geno Auriemma, Paige Bueckers Sharing Final Moment on Trophy Stage

The legendary coach-player combo won their final game together.

Liam McKeone

Bueckers is on to the WNBA next year, leaving Auriemma and UConn behind
Bueckers is on to the WNBA next year, leaving Auriemma and UConn behind / Yahoo! Sport
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The final game of Paige Bueckers's amazing career at UConn under Geno Auriemma was a big one.

The Huskies superstar scored 17 points to help lead UConn over South Carolina in the national championship game, checking one final collegiate bucket list item off before she heads to the WNBA. And after the confetti fell, she shared one final moment with Auriemma on the trophy stage.

As the postgame festitives got fully underway with nets being cut down, cameras caught the final two UConn representatives on the stage where the Huskies got their trophy: Bueckers and Auriemma. The legendary pairing embraced one more time as their success-laden era came to an end.

A defining shot of the Bueckers era in Storrs.

It's a fitting end to a remarkable career from Bueckers as Auriemma sends off yet another talented pupil to dominate the professional world.

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Liam McKeone
LIAM MCKEONE

Liam McKeone is a senior writer for the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has been in the industry as a content creator since 2017, and prior to joining SI in May 2024, McKeone worked for NBC Sports Boston and The Big Lead. In addition to his work as a writer, he has hosted the Press Pass Podcast covering sports media and The Big Stream covering pop culture. A graduate of Fordham University, he is always up for a good debate and enjoys loudly arguing about sports, rap music, books and video games. McKeone has been a member of the National Sports Media Association since 2020.

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