UConn legend Paige Bueckers pens emotional Huskies goodbye in tearjerker post

It's safe to say that Paige Bueckers put the UConn Huskies back into the juggernaut mix for NCAA women's college basketball. So of course it was emotional.

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It's so hard to say goodbye.

That's especially the case for instant UConn Huskies legend Paige Bueckers, who will now take her immense talents to the WNBA as the first overall pick by the Dallas Wings after leading Connecticut to its first national championship since 2016.

RELATED: Azzi Fudd upstages UConn bestie Paige Bueckers with WNBA draft showstopper

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In an Instagram carousel post with a befitting image of a huge hug between the Minnesota icon and her GOAT college basketball head coach Geno Auriemma, Bueckers, 23, wrote, "UConn Nation, where do I even begin. This past 5 years have been some of the most rewarding, challenging and Blessed years of my life. From the relationships that will last a lifetime, memories and experiences I’ll never forget, and a growing in Faith that has changed my life.

The support and love has meant everything to me and I wouldn’t have been able to make it through without it. From all my sisters that I played with, to everyone in the program you are all family for life. Storrs, Connecticut will always be my second home and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I’m forever indebted and all I can say is THANK YOU💙"

RELATED: Azzi Fudd, Paige Bueckers go casual together at UConn unlike glitzy WNBA draft night

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The highly-coveted Gatorade National Player of the Year and No. 1 ESPN recruit came to Storrs to resurrect a program that had lost some steam to newcomers like Dawn Staley's South Carolina Gamecocks.

The three-time unanimous first-team All-American did exactly that. After dealing with some devastating knee injuries, she came agonizingly close in a controversial Final Four loss to Caitlin Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes.

RELATED: Paige, Clark crushed by surprising No. 1 WNBA social media star

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This year, UConn steamrolled their way to a national championship, taking down South Carolina to provide sweet redemption for Bueckers and Auriemma especially - a perfect storybook ending.

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