UConn's Paige Bueckers Left Geno Auriemma Hanging for 20 Hours
In this story:
Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers turned 24 on October 20, but her legendary coach Geno Auriemma found out exactly where he ranks on her priority list. The former UConn star left her Hall of Fame coach waiting nearly a full day before responding to his birthday message.
At Big East Media Day on October 21, reporters asked Auriemma about Bueckers' birthday. The conversation had a funny moment between the coach and the reporter.
When asked what his birthday message was, Auriemma kept it simple. "Happy birthday," he said.
But then came the punchline that had everyone laughing. "And then uh 20 hours later, she said thanks. So it tells you where I am on her list of answering her texts," Auriemma joked.
Although he said this jokingly, a slight hesitation was evident on his face. Bueckers played her entire college career under Auriemma before becoming the number one WNBA Draft pick in 2025.
Despite making her coach wait, Bueckers received plenty of birthday wishes from the basketball world. Former UConn teammate KK Arnold posted a sweet tribute on social media.
"Happy birthday boogers. Love and miss you," Arnold wrote, using their special nickname for each other.
Current UConn guard Morgan Cheli also wished Bueckers happy birthday. WNBA stars like Angel Reese, Arike Ogunbowale, and NaLyssa Smith joined the celebration too.
Did Azzi Wish Paige Happy Birthday?
However, fans quickly noticed someone missing from the birthday posts. Azzi Fudd, Bueckers' girlfriend and current UConn star, stayed silent on social media all day.
This was unusual since Fudd had always posted for Bueckers' birthday in the past. The silence immediately sparked breakup rumors among fans online.
Most UConn fans dismissed the speculation. They argued Fudd was probably celebrating privately with Bueckers instead of posting online.
While Azzi stayed quiet, her brother Jon Fudd stepped in. He posted a heartfelt birthday message to Bueckers, calling her "sis."
first bday post for paige came from jon fudd ❤️ pic.twitter.com/li6u3OOCor
— K (@PBBUCKET5) October 20, 2025
"Happy birthday sis, love you tiphead," Jon wrote, sharing photos from their 100 months of friendship.
The post showed how close Bueckers has become with the entire Fudd family over the years.
Bueckers celebrated by attending the Dallas Cowboys game at AT&T Stadium on October 19. She signed autographs and threw a perfect spiral to a young fan.
"God didn't play at all about year 23. Forever Blessed and highly favored. Thank you God!" Bueckers wrote on Instagram.
After winning WNBA Rookie of the Year, Bueckers had plenty to celebrate.
Jayesh Pagar is currently pursuing Sports Journalism from the London School of Journalism and brings four years of experience in sports media coverage. He has contributed extensively to NBA, WNBA, college basketball, and college football content.