Paige Bueckers Shrugs Off Geno Auriemma's Denial of Emotional UConn Media Moment

UConn Huskies star Paige Bueckers assessed Geno Auriemma denying that he was emotional about her response in a recent NCAA Tournament press conference.

Apr 4, 2024; Cleveland, OH, USA; UConn Huskies coach Geno Auriemma (left) and guard Paige Bueckers during press conference at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Legendary UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma isn't known for showing much emotion when he's on camera. This is why what seemed to be his emotional reaction to Paige Bueckers' comments after the Huskies' March 24 NCAA Tournament game caught a lot of attention.

Bueckers left the postgame press conference podium after a heartfelt response about how much UConn has meant to her. The camera then panned to Auriemma, who was seated next to her and who looked teary-eyed while watching her walk away before he began speaking.

While many fans are convinced Auriemma was indeed trying to hold back tears in this moment, former UConn Huskies player and WNBA legend Sue Bird poured cold water on this stance by saying, "It's going around the internet that he was crying. And I just want to say, as someone who played there and knows this man pretty well, ain't no ******* way he was crying... No chance."

She later added, "You heard it here first. I say no chance he was crying. If anything, he was giving a look like 'These ******* guys'. That's what I caught."

While Auriemma wasn't asked about this when speaking with the media on March 28, Bueckers was. And she offered a telling response.

"He denies it. He can't show that I affect his emotions that much, that me leaving would make him emotional or make him sad," Bueckers said of the moment with a smile, per an X post from KOIN News' Brenna Greene.

"He wants people to believe that me leaving is like the greatest day for him," Bueckers added. "So I know he says there wasn't tears for me in his eyes, but I know he'll miss me."

She later said, "To hear how he talks about me and how much I mean to him, it's kind of unbelievable at times. But it means a lot."

Geno Auriemma is apparently denying that the viral video of him getting emotional of Paige Bueckers is actually him getting emotional 😂

"He wants people to believe that me leaving is like the greatest day for him. He says there wasn't tears for me in his eyes but I know he'll… pic.twitter.com/kepWTsLw1Y

— Brenna Greene (@BrennaGreene_) March 28, 2025

We imagine Auriemma might be moved to tears (undeniably) if Bueckers can bring UConn its first national championship since 2016 in a little over a week.