Paige Bueckers Is Now One Step Away from Her UConn Championship Dream
Paige Bueckers stayed at UConn for a fifth year to pursue a national championship and solidify her legacy. She is one step closer to her dream as the UConn Huskies dominantly dispatched the UCLA Bruins in Friday's women's NCAA Final Four matchup.
UConn's mission was clear: stop Lauren Betts at all costs. The 6'7" junior center was the driving force behind UCLA's first Final Four run in program history. Averaging nearly a double-double with 20 points and 9.7 rebounds going into the contest, no one had been able to contain Betts.
But the Huskies took control early in the game with their commanding defense and explosive offense. Jana El Alfy, the UConn freshman tasked to cover Betts, set the tone by consistently disrupting attempts to feed the ball to the UCLA center. In a post game interview, Geno Auriemma, UConn’s legendary head coach credited her stating, ”She played her best game tonight”.
JANA EL ALFY WHAT YOU GOT FOR ME pic.twitter.com/n91OIfMTIQ
— Shabazz 💫 (@ShowCaseShabazz) April 5, 2025
Huskies guard Azzi Fudd lit it up in the first half, racking up 19 points to help UConn build an early lead. Though she was held scoreless in the second half, she passed the torch to phenom freshman Sarah Strong, who finished with a team-high 22 points, and Bueckers, who added 16. But the play of the night came from Bueckers, whose slick touch pass to teammate Kaitlyn Chen was shared across social media like wildfire.
obsessed with this paige pass
— whitney medworth (@its_whitney) April 5, 2025
pic.twitter.com/jqm52eZUN3
Though Betts battled through being double- and triple-teamed in the paint, she still went an efficient 11 for 18 from the field and came away with 26 points for UCLA. It didn’t help their cause, though, as UConn’s strategy left the Bruins completely frazzled, ending in a lopsided 84-51 win for the Huskies.
The victory sends Bueckers and UConn to the national title game to face off against the South Carolina Gamecocks on Sunday, bringing Bueckers one step closer to her championship dream.
Something she did not shy away from addressing after the win. "We prayed, we prepared and we hoped to be playing on the last day of the season. We got that opportunity, so we don't want to take it for granted," Bueckers stated.
"We prayed, we prepared and we hoped to be playing on the last day of the season. We got that opportunity, so we don't want to take it for granted."
— UConn on SNY (@SNYUConn) April 5, 2025
- Paige Bueckers pic.twitter.com/nHLs3PcQ8x
Auriemma added to the sentiment as well in speaking about the upcoming national championship game. "It certainly impacts her life and what she wants, and what she's been dreaming about since she picked up a basketball," he said.
"So anytime you can have a hand in helping someone who when you were talking to them when they were 17-years-old about what could happen if you come to UConn, and you're in a position to actually be able to do it, I think that's the most gratifying thing for me at this stage of my life," he added.
Bueckers will have a chance to capitalize on the opportunity and realize her UConn dreams come Sunday.
Rosalina Lee is one of the premiere content creators in the women’s basketball space. She has written for such companies as Red Bull Sports and has teamed up with notable brands such as Madison Square Garden, going behind the scenes with the New York Knicks and Rangers. She is currently offering analysis and fresh takes into the world of women’s basketball on her YouTube channel, and now with Indiana Fever On SI and Women's Fastbreak On SI, keeping fans in the loop with all the latest action!
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