Paige Bueckers Becomes Fastest UConn Player To Reach 2,000 Career Points

Bueckers made program history on Sunday against Seton Hall

Jan 19, 2025; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) looks for an opening against Seton Hall Pirates forward Faith Masonius (3) in the first half at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Achieving greatness at the collegiate level isn’t easy, especially when it appears the basketball gods are playing unnecessary games. 

On Sunday, Paige Bueckers became the fastest UConn player to reach 2,000 career points, but her road to that milestone has been far from stress-free.

Bueckers’ freshman campaign at UConn was sensational.

The Hopkins, Minnesota native earned an incredible number of accolades, including the AP Player of the Year award, Big East Freshman of the Year award, and first-team All-Big East honors. 

More impressively, Bueckers guided the Huskies to the 2021 Final Four before falling to Arizona 69-59. 

During Bueckers’ sophomore campaign, however, injuries began to play a negative role in her career. 

The 6-foot cold-blooded offensive killer suffered an unfortunate knee injury six games into the year that sidelined her for two long months. 

Bueckers returned to the hardwood in February and helped UConn reach the national championship game against South Carolina, but she endured a massive setback during the summer. 

The former McDonald’s All-American tore her left ACL during a pick-up game in August, causing her to miss the 2022-23 season. 

Amazingly, Bueckers enjoyed a smooth rehab process and returned to her dominant ways in 2023, averaging 21.9 points per contest on respectable shooting splits and orchestrating a third Final Four run.

As a fifth-year senior, Bueckers has the No. 6 ranked Huskies rolling again under Geno Auriemma, boasting a 17-2 record through 19 games. 

After scoring 18 points in a convincing 96-36 victory over Seton Hall on Sunday and achieving a remarkable individual milestone, it’s safe to say the future WNBA superstar is in good spirits.

“I was hoping I would get it (2,000 points) at some point,” Bueckers said after the game.

“I knew I was six points away, so, eventually, hopefully, I would get there. I didn’t want to press, I didn’t want to force the issue, I just wanted to let it happen naturally within the game flow and continue to play the right way.”

No matter how Bueckers’ final collegiate season concludes, there’s no denying the accomplished guard will go down as one of the best players in UConn history.

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