Geno Auriemma & Paige Bueckers’ Secret Message Revealed in Tearjerking Moment After UConn’s NCAA Championship

“You know the end is near, so you’re trying to cherish it and drag it out as long as possible because you don’t want it to end,” Paige Bueckers said before the tournament began. And now, that end has arrived. The UConn Huskies humbled the defending champions to win their 12th championship. A perfect send-off present for the WNBA-bound guard. The five-year journey, filled with highs and lows, has finally ended. It concluded with an emotional embrace between Head Coach Geno Auriemma and his player, fully aware that their time together had come to a close.

Paige has faced a tough road with injuries over the past five seasons at UConn, battling through a tibial plateau injury, torn ACL, and a sprained knee. Naturally, those injuries meant that the Huskies, who were so used to winning, just couldn’t win when it mattered. Two Final Fours and a championship game loss to the Gamecocks in 2022 were all Paige had to show–until tonight. For the first time in five years, UConn had a fully fit squad, and they delivered.

Paige was nothing short of phenomenal during the big dance. She posted three consecutive 30+ point games, proving just how dominant she can be when fully fit. Even tonight, the guard finished with 17 points, delivering another championship back to Storrs. And this was followed by a moment all UConn fans will cherish for a long time.

With just 90 seconds remaining and UConn holding a dominant 29-point lead, Geno chose to sub out Paige, allowing her to receive the flowers she deserved. The two shared a heartfelt embrace on the sidelines, with Bueckers overwhelmed with emotion and tears streaming down her face. Both knew their chapter together was over.

When asked by ESPN what he said to Bueckers in that emotional moment, Auriemma fought back tears and simply said, “I love you. That’s all I can say. I love you.” Paige, on the other hand, had a humorous take on the exchange. “He told me he loves me, I told him I hated him, but no, I love that man more than words can describe,” the guard said, highlighting just how close their bond truly is.

Paige has often gone on record saying that Auriemma is a man who speaks his mind. He’d tell you things you might not want to hear, but that’s just how he is. Auriemma himself admitted Paige was stubborn when he pointed out her mistakes. Yet, through it all, the love was always there. He pushed her to be her best, and Paige knows it. “It’s been a long time since I was that emotional with a player,” Auriemma said, showing just how deep their bond has grown over the last five years.

As Paige wraps up her college career and steps into the next chapter with the WNBA, she shared a few thoughts on how she wants to be remembered at UConn. Let’s take a look at what she had to say.

Paige Bueckers on how she wants to be remembered at UConn

Bueckers hasn’t just been one of the best individual players in UConn’s storied history, she is one of its most beloved. Remember how she became Jana El Alfy’s personal chef during Ramadan? How she would always include her teammates in her NIL deals? That’s just how she is as a person. Bueckers was the glue who kept the harmony of the squad despite all they had gone through. And that’s exactly how she wants to be remembered!

“As a great teammate, a great leader,” Bueckers said when asked how she’d like to be remembered. “I think those are the two most important things to me. Just being somebody that people love to play with, make their teammates better.”

The leader has kept her promise. She has delivered the championship, which hadn’t seen the grounds of Storrs since 2016. It’s a perfect fairytale ending for one of the best to ever wear the Huskies jersey. Who replaces Paige as the next leader is a question Geno Auriemma will be wondering about once the new season begins, but for now, it’s party time at Tampa Bay!