No one can deny the impact Paige Bueckers brings to the Huskies every time she steps on the court. She’s often seen taking on the offense herself, dribbling, and attempting shots when support from teammates is limited. But the tables have turned, as seen in a recent game where UConn took on UCF.

While Bueckers had an impressive 22-point run in today’s matchup, head coach Geno Auriemma benched her early on. The remaining roster played the fourth quarter without their star player, adding 13 points. The Huskies dominated with a staggering 86-49 win over UCF. Did Geno’s gamble pay off? It turns out it was all part of the plan.

“Yeah, it’s been an emphasis in practice, them taking me out and having the same group figure it out and different people step up, having to put the ball in the basket,” the Huskies’ standout guard shared in a postgame interview. According to her, the team has been practicing playing without her so they can “run the offense efficiently” even in her absence.

It looks like the team has addressed a major weakness that even the head coach admitted to. “Geno said this, ‘Everybody plays really well when Paige is on the floor. Everybody else is good at making plays when Paige is on the floor and can kind of have that gravitational pull, and she just impacts so many areas of the game,’“ Emily Adams shared in a recent episode of the ‘Locked on UConn’ podcast.

Now, Huskies players other than Bueckers have stepped up to “facilitate” on their own. It was a combined effort, with Ashlyn Shade, Kaitlyn Chen, Allie Ziebell, KK Arnold, and Jana Al Elfy each contributing 2 points with a layup. Meanwhile, Morgan Cheli hit a three-pointer, bringing the total to 13 points.

Paige Bueckers aims for team efforts

While UConn’s underclassmen made a significant impact in the second half, the team’s reliance on Bueckers remains a concern. In the previous game against Boston University, UConn’s star player was benched after the first quarter and didn’t check back in until halfway through the second frame. But today, the star guard didn’t get to rest until 34 seconds remained in the first half.

It’s a problem for UConn, as they struggle to afford benching her. Bueckers alone had nearly half (19) of UConn’s 40 points, while no other player scored more than six. But she is determined to get her teammates as involved as possible, leading the majorly unexperienced crew. “I’m very picky with what I’m doing right now because I’m showing the younger guys what we’re supposed to do here,” she told SNY. Even in the previous game, it was Sarah Strong who led with 17 points, while Beuckers manged 13.

“Just trying to… make sure everybody is playing together,” she added. While Strong and Shade, put up 13 and 15 respectively, Chen led in assists with 7. So it’s clear Auriemma and Beuckers’ efforts are being answered. Though too soon say, the HC may ward off his worry about an inexperienced roster.