The ultimate web page of Paige Bueckers‘ UConn journey has been written. Bueckers and her Huskies teammates grew to become nationwide champions on Sunday with an 82-59 defeat of the reigning nationwide champion South Carolina Gamecocks.
UConn was welcomed again to Connecticut with a rally on Monday. Bueckers addressed followers who gathered to point out their assist.
“It means every thing to convey it again to the place it belongs,” Bueckers stated of the nationwide championship trophy. “We felt the love in Spokane. We felt the love in Tampa … Each single one that poured into us, we would not have the ability to get it carried out with out you guys, so simply an awesome sense of gratitude.”
The UConn star grew to become emotional as she mirrored on her 5 years on the college.
“I am without end indebted to you guys,” Bueckers stated to the followers. “We’re all without end indebted to you guys. And from the underside of my coronary heart, I really like you.”
Bueckers returned to sit down alongside her teammates on the finish of her speech, which additionally introduced tears to a lot of their eyes. The star’s faculty profession has come to an emotional finish as she achieved her dream of changing into a nationwide champion.
Paige Bueckers’ postseason efficiency for UConn
The highway to a nationwide title wasn’t a simple one for Paige Bueckers. Throughout her 5 years at UConn, she appeared in 4 Remaining Fours, together with the 2022 championship sport. Regardless of being probably the most dominant gamers in ladies’s basketball and the projected No. 1 decide within the 2025 WNBA draft, Bueckers hadn’t gained a title. This season supplied her with yet another likelihood.
Regardless of ending with the No. 1 general NET rating, UConn entered the NCAA Match as a No. 2 seed. The Huskies did not let this cease them from bringing house the title in Bueckers’ final faculty season.
Bueckers thrived in her closing March Insanity look. This postseason, the guard averaged 24.8 factors per sport, up from her 19.9 ppg common. She served as a dynamic two-way pressure, placing up 2.8 steals and 1.3 blocks per sport, additionally each will increase from her averages this season.
On the way in which to successful the NCAA Match, the Huskies needed to defeat three No. 1 seeds in USC, UCLA and South Carolina.
UConn by no means faltered, breezing by means of the primary two rounds. Bueckers stepped up in a extra aggressive Candy 16 matchup towards No. 3 seeded Oklahoma, recording a career-high 40 factors.
Bueckers and her Huskies continued to dominate, with their closest sport of the match being a 14-point defeat of USC. With the win over South Carolina within the championship, Bueckers ended her faculty profession with the title she has been chasing the previous 5 years. Her gratitude towards her group and its followers was clear on the rally.