Last year, when the women’s college basketball scene was swept in Caitlin Clark’s frenzy, UConn coach Geno Auriemma caused a stir. Following Paige Bueckers’ 32-point effort in the Huskies’ 72-64 win over Syracuse to advance to the Sweet 16, her HC called her the “best player in America.” On social media, many presented the case for Caitlin Clark and called out Auriemma’s claim, but he stood by his pick. The legendary coach is well aware of Bueckers’ talents and is not afraid to back his player to the hilt. It has paid dividends this season with the 23-year-old making NCAA basketball history. But despite being a big supporter of Bueckers, Auriemma isn’t afraid to call her out from time to time and that is what happened after her Senior day game.

It is well known that Bueckers aims to be perfect and highly efficient on the court. She takes pride in her skills and doesn’t shy away from who she is. Last month, talking to GQ, she described herself as “a competitor who can score at all three levels, defends, plays both sides of the court, very versatile, can really do anything that the game calls for and the team needs.” Earlier when Flau’jae Johnson asked her on her podcast which one of them had “more rizz,” Bueckers promptly, “I got top rizz in the world.” But on Sunday, some of that rizz went over the top according to her coach when Bueckers reacted to a missed free throw.

Playing possibly her last regular season game for UConn against Marquette, Bueckers led her program to a thumping 92-57 win. She had 19 points, seven assists, and three steals as UConn finished the regular season on a high note. But the ever-competitive Bueckers was visibly frustrated when she missed a free throw and this didn’t sit well with Auriemma who laid into her quite candidly.

“She prides herself on being called the most efficient player in America. I thought it was a little, maybe it’s ’cause it’s Oscar’s night, it was a little overdramatic. I thought it was a little much, the reaction to missing the free throw. I just turned around, I started talking to my staff,” Auriemma said, clearly unimpressed by her reaction.

“I didn’t need to witness anything like that. I’d go home and watch a movie if I wanted to see that kind of bad acting. But, she takes pride in it, in everything she does,” he added.

Some would think that this isn’t the kind of reaction expected from the player projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. But Auriemma knows this is just how Bueckers operates. He also understands that she takes pride in being one of the most efficient players in the country- shooting nearly 50% from the field, almost 40% from three, and an unbelievable 90% from the free-throw line.

Well, all this comes from Paige being a perfectionist- plain and simple. Whether it’s a crucial game or just a lighthearted challenge, she wants to win. Along the same lines, Auriemma shared an incident that happened before the game to point out the mindset that Bueckers possesses.

“She got her a** kicked today by Jana (El Alfy) in a halfcourt shooting contest. It was like she just lost a national championship game. So to her, being perfect and efficient and being thought of as that, ‘I can do anything and I can do it better than anybody else,’ really means a lot to her,” the 11-time national champion said.

Bueckers could have left UConn for the WNBA this year, but having returned from the ACL tear that forced her to miss the entire 2022-23 season, she was determined to have one more shot at the college national championship that has eluded her. Last season proved more than ever how determined she is to succeed.

She helped an underdog Huskies to beat USC and JuJu Watkins 80-73 in the Elite Eight, dropping 28 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, three steals, and two blocks. But UConn lost in the national semifinal against the Caitlin Clark–led Iowa team, 71-69, and that fueled her this season.

“I was sick about the last game and sick about how our season ended. This is my last year to get what I came here for. … The urgency is at an all-time high,” she told GQ, having spent her summer working in the gym until late at night and shooting jumper after jumper.

The team was runner-up her sophomore season while she was injured, and they’ve reached the Final Four two times with Bueckers. After clinching the Big East regular season title this time, there is hope once again that Bueckers will bid goodbye to the Huskies by winning the national championship. This season she has averaged 18.6 points, 4.9 assists, and 4.5 rebounds. Over her four years at UConn, she’s averaged an impressive 19.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game.

Meanwhile, her coach has also enjoyed seeing her fiesty competitive nature come to the fore at times. Talking to GQ for the feature on Bueckers, he said how much how much he loves her “delusional side.”

“There’s a delusional side of Paige that I love. She has to know better, but she comes across as, ‘I have never missed a shot; if I do miss, it’s because something happened. I have never fouled anybody in my life; the refs are always wrong,’” he said.

His words after the final game of the regular season suggest that he wants Bueckers to concentrate more on the game than ever before. It was a bit of final-season wisdom from a coach who has built a strong relationship with Bueckers over the years. And on Senior Day, she left it all on the court—just as she has throughout her career and made history in the process.

Paige Bueckers joins UConn Legends, ahead of leading Huskies to March Madness run

Following her performance against Marquette, it emerged that she had made a piece of history as well. According to OptaSTATS, she became the only player in Division I, men’s or women’s, in the 21st century to record over 2,000 points, 500-plus rebounds, 500-plus assists, shoot 50% or better from the field, 40% or better from beyond the arc, and 80% or better from the free-throw line. This

Since Bueckers has been a standout for UConn, the Huskies made sure to give her a farewell she would remember forever. After her final regular-season game, UConn honored her by inducting her into the Huskies of Honor, cementing her place among program legends like Maya Moore, Diana Taurasi, and Breanna Stewart.

“A person who wore the jersey with pride, loved her teammates, loved her coaching staff, and enjoyed the journey,” Bueckers said when asked about her legacy. But Auriemma, ever the realist, knows that the weight of this moment may not fully hit her until later. “At some point, it’s gonna hit home, and I hope I’m around to see the reaction,” he said.

But for now, there’s no time for emotional detours. The Huskies have bigger things ahead—Big East and NCAA Tournament runs, where Bueckers’ efficiency and leadership will be crucial.

Over her last few games, Bueckers has been nearly unstoppable, shooting close to 60% from the field. Even in big matchups, she has stepped up—dropping 29 points against UNC and 25 against Notre Dame. And when her shot isn’t falling, she finds other ways to contribute. Remember her 10-assist performances against Butler and South Carolina? If she keeps playing at this level, UConn will be a serious threat in March Madness.