Geno Auriemma Assesses Paige Bueckers' Team USA Readiness
On November 24, the roster for a USA Basketball Women's National Team training camp that's taking place in Durham, North Carolina, from December 12 to 14 was revealed. The roster was loaded with many of the WNBA and college basketball's biggest stars, and included 10 young standouts who will be making their debuts with Team USA's senior national team camp.
These players include Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, UCLA Bruins center Lauren Betts, Los Angeles Sparks center Cameron Brink, Golden State Valkyries standout Veronica Burton, Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron, Mystics forward Kiki Iriafen, Sparks guard Rickea Jackson, Chicago Sky star forward Angel Reese, USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (who is still sidelined with a torn ACL), and Dallas Wings star guard Paige Bueckers.
There's a lot of interest about these players earning an invite to the camp, as it will be their first opportunity to make a good impression and potentially put themselves in position to make the Team USA squad for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics games. While almost all of these players are destined to play in the Olympics at some point, there's a question about whether some are ready right now or if some of the team's veterans are most deserving.
Geno Auriemma Addresses Paige Bueckers Potentially Playing for Team USA
Few know Paige Bueckers better than Geno Auriemma, who spent five seasons as her head coach with the UConn Huskies. Auriemma was interviewed by Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal on November 29 and discussed the steps Paige will need to take to earn her spot on the USA Basketball Women's National Team.
“The first step is to get invited,” Auriemma said. “So, that’s number one. So, that’s happened. The second is going to come easy for her — to understand what they’re asking you to do once you get there. She’s great at that. Whatever you need her to do, she’s going to do it. “I think the year in the league has helped her to understand that I can handle myself in this level of competition and I can be what my team needs me to be.
“Playing on a national team involves a lot of awareness — being self-aware, knowing who you are, what you are, and knowing you might have a different role than you have on the team you’re playing on regularly,” the 12-time NCAA champion coach continued. “I think all of those things are things that she’s very familiar with. So, not a lot that I can give.”
Geno on Paige’s future in USA Basketball:
— j (@thearkvi) November 30, 2025
“Playing on national team involves of awareness—being self-aware, knowing who you are, what you are, and knowing you might have a different role than have on team you’re playing regularly…all those things are things that she’s very… pic.twitter.com/zrvG2AV8LA
Auriemma also noted the importance of timing with Bueckers' chances, saying, “I think someone’s going to emerge, whether that’s Paige or someone else, whether it’s now for the World Championships or for the Olympics. Maybe she’s too young, I don’t know. Or maybe she’s ready. I do know she has all of the things that she needs.”
It will be interesting to see how Bueckers fared during the Team USA camp next month.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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