After one of the wildest March Madness runs in recent memory, the 2025 NCAA Tournament ended with a bang. Paige Bueckers and the No. 2 seed UConn Huskies stepped onto the floor ready to prove a point—and they did just that. Facing off against the unbeaten No. 1 seed South Carolina Gamecocks, UConn didn’t just win. They dominated.

The final score? 82–59. A statement win. It was the kind of game that felt bigger than just a championship. It was about legacy, emotion, and one last ride for one of college basketball’s brightest stars. Even with a championship in hand, she made it clear this run was no fluke. 

“I am not worried about them at all, we got the blueprint,” she said. “And we know what it takes to get here.” Even more telling? She said earlier they still haven’t hit their ceiling. “Together this entire whole tournament, but I still think we got another level to tap into,” Bueckers added. “And that’s what we save it for. We don’t need any extra incentive.”

That’s not just pride—that’s a message. A warning to the rest of college basketball. Especially the 10 other top programs already dreaming of next season. Because while Paige may be heading to the WNBA, UConn’s not going anywhere. Not with a title in their hands—and the blueprint left behind.

With the clock winding down and UConn way ahead, head coach Geno Auriemma called for a sub. It was time. He pulled Paige Bueckers from the game, letting her soak in the love from the crowd.

She walked off the court to a roar, and Geno was right there waiting for her. The two shared a long, emotional hug: a coach and a player who’ve been through it all.

“I love you, that’s all I can say,” Geno whispered. Later, Paige smiled and said, “He told me he loves me. I told him I hated him. I love that man more than words can describe.”

It felt like a goodbye. But then again, maybe not. Because in that moment—watching Paige walk off, seeing the journey they had taken together—something shifted for Geno too. When asked about whether this was his last dance, he didn’t hesitate.

“This one here… because of the way it came about and what’s been involved,” he said, “it’s been a long time since I was that emotional with a player involved. Makes me wanna hang in there.” So no, Geno’s not done yet. What about Paige, though?

From Dream to Dynasty: Paige Bueckers Gets Her Crown

Back in June, Paige Bueckers quietly hinted that this would probably be her last season in college. She didn’t slam the door shut, but she didn’t pretend either. “I’ve learned not to speak on the future,” she said then. “You never know what could happen.” Still, you could feel it—this was the ride she’d been saving herself for.

And wow, did she make it count.

Bueckers and head coach Geno Auriemma have walked a long, emotional road together. From the moment she committed to UConn in 2019, Paige knew she was stepping into something bigger than herself. “As a kid, UConn was my dream school,” she said. “Seeing them win all those national titles and then visiting campus and seeing them up close, it was everything I’ve dreamed of and more.”

She didn’t come to blend in. She came in on fire.

As a freshman, she won the Naismith Player of the Year and carried UConn to the Final Four. The next year, she helped the Huskies reach the national championship game—but South Carolina crushed their hopes.

Then came the injury. A torn ACL before the 2022–23 season kept her sidelined for a full year. It was the kind of setback that can wreck careers. Not Paige. She came back swinging, averaging 21.9 points and leading UConn back to the Final Four.

But the trophy kept slipping away.

Until now. In a dominant win over South Carolina, Bueckers finally claimed what she’d been chasing. A national title. Her name now belongs in the same breath as UConn legends like Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, and Diana Taurasi. She’s earned her place—carved it, really.

She also shared that mountaintop moment with her best friend and longtime teammate, Azzi Fudd. The two arrived at UConn together in 2021, bonded by talent, expectation, and resilience. Through injuries, pressure, and heartbreak, they stayed side by side. Sunday night, they stood at the top together.

And now the next chapter begins. There was talk she might stay. Whispers about the WNBA Draft and whether she’d pull an Eli Manning-style move to avoid going to Dallas, the team holding the No. 1 pick. Others thought she might wait a year for the new CBA and a bigger payday. But Paige never said she was returning. She never needed to. This season—this championship—was the plan all along.

She leaves UConn as one of just 12 players in program history to score 2,000 career points. More importantly, she leaves as a national champion.