UConn's Geno Auriemma Asserts Paige Bueckers' Aggression Doesn't Depend on Points

UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma explained why Paige Bueckers' scoring tally doesn't always convey how well she plays.
Dec 21, 2024; Hartford, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma talks with guard Paige Bueckers (5) from the sideline as they take on the USC Trojans at XL Center. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
Dec 21, 2024; Hartford, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma talks with guard Paige Bueckers (5) from the sideline as they take on the USC Trojans at XL Center. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

The UConn Huskies women's basketball team cruised to a blowout 91-49 win over Seton Hall on February 19.

UConn star and projected No. 1 pick of the 2025 WNBA Draft Paige Bueckers produced an efficient and effective performance, scoring 23 points (which allowed her to surpass Diana Taurasi on UConn's all-time points scored list) on 8-13 shooting while also adding 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals.

Bueckers also seemed to experience a minor knee injury at one point in the game but ultimately returned to the court, showing there was nothing to be concerned about.

Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma spoke with the media after the contest and detailed what he has seen of late from Bueckers.

"She draws a lot of attention to herself, which is good," Auriemma said of Bueckers, per an X post from SNY. " She could try to go out there and try to get 25 shots every night if she wanted it to be that way, but she doesn't. And... I just want to make sure she takes advantage of all the opportunities that she has.

"But every time she does force the action, every time she's coming down the floor... she sees everything that's going on. So, the more aggressive she is, as you said, I think the better our team is," he continued.

"That doesn't always represent how many points you scored or how many shots you took. I thought she played a great game over the weekend and she played really well today. And what did she take, 13 shots or something like that?"

UConn will need Bueckers to keep being aggressive if they're to reach their goal of obtaining a national championship this season.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

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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