WNBA Star Paige Bueckers Gets Hilarious Critique From Geno Auriemma in UConn Reunion

Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers and coach Geno Auriemma have a unique relationship.

Jun 17, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; University of Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma speaks with Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) after the game against the Golden State Valkyries at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers and her former college coach, Geno Auriemma, have remained close since Bueckers concluded her career as a critical asset to the UConn Huskies.

The Huskies will attempt to extend their season Friday against the North Carolina Tar Heels, inching closer and closer to yet another berth in the national title game. An added bonus for UConn was a piece of nostalgia only best suited for Dallas-Fort Worth.

Of course, it's the home of the Dallas Wings, as Bueckers went No. 1 in last year's draft and put together an impressive season, culminating in WNBA Rookie of the Year honors by season's end.

Auriemma has watched Bueckers from afar and remains in awe at her maturity level when it comes to not only handling the spotlight on the court, but off it as well.

"We had dinner with Paige last night and listened to her speak," Auriemma recalled to reporters. "It reminded me of how much those five years took off my life. Listening to the things that she says. And the interesting thing is I lived through it with Diana [Taurasi], and they’re the only two that put me through that."

Luckily for Auriemma, he could have another Huskies legend follow in Bueckers' footsteps should Azzi Fudd get drafted No. 1 overall. For the second consecutive season, the Wings own the No. 1 pick in the draft, which is scheduled for April 13 in New York.

Paige Bueckers Could Play With Azzi Fudd Again

Dec 7, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Connecticut Huskies guard Azzi Fudd (35) and Connecticut Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) celebrate after the game against the Louisville Cardinals at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Boland-Imagn Images | Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

Dallas has kept rather quiet about who it intends to draft, but all signs appear to be pointing Fudd's direction, given Taurasi's recent "championship-DNA" comments and her prediction that Fudd would "probably" wind up as the No. 1 pick.

Should UConn win another title, the same feat Buckers and Fudd accomplished last spring, it further strengthens the case for a reunion to happen for the pair while representing women's basketball's grandest stage: the WNBA.

As the countdown to the season draws closer, so does the excitement level for a Wings team bringing in a fresh identity under new coach Jose Fernandez, a new practice facility and a supportive fanbase eager to see the turnaround unfold.

Much is still to be decided, as is the remainder of the Huskies' NCAA Tournament run. However, one aspect seems clear: Fudd is saying the quiet part aloud, wanting to reunite with Bueckers in Dallas while also beginning a new chapter of her career in the pros.