As the women’s NCAA off-season comes to an end, anticipation is high for UConn’s women’s basketball team. The team’s tight-knit sisterhood is as strong as ever, even with some familiar faces missing. Nika Muhl, now with the Seattle Storm, is one of them, and no one feels her absence more than her “twin,” Paige Bueckers. Or does she?

Reflecting on Muhl’s departure, Bueckers shared her thoughts on her new roommate, Jana El Alfy, and her return to the game, “Jana, obviously missed her. She’s just a big presence on defense that we didn’t necessarily have last year. She brings us a ton of energy, and I think losing Nika and Aaliyah means we’re missing a bit of that energy, so I think she’ll help with that as well,” Bueckers stated in a recent interview with Storrs Central.

Jana, who enrolled into UConn in 2022-23, was a late addition to the class, alongside players like Ashlynn Shade and KK Arnold. However, due to her participation in the 2023 FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup in Spain led to a ruptured Achilles tendon, sidelining her for the entire 2023-24 season. After months of recovery, she is finally poised to pursue an NCAA title alongside the Minneapolis-born.

Bueckers especially, who averaged 14.6 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.0 rebounds last season, aims to enhance those stats as a leader on the court. She noted, “As leaders we got to make sure we’re holding everybody accountable and ourselves accountable to that um to make sure that we leave nothing up the chance and leave no regrets are on the floor” while talking about her role as a leader of young team this season.

This revelation by the guard certainly takes us back to the 2024 NCAA Final Four where, according to many, the Huskies lost because of poor officiating. Then as well, Paige Bueckers held herself and her team accountable for letting everything fall to that one call in a knockout round.

Bueckers, who has harbored similar ambitions since her last title loss against Iowa and Caitlin Clark, is eager to seize this opportunity.

Bueckers’ determined quest for a national title

“I just feel like I’m not done yet here,” said Paige Bueckers, expressing her determination to capture a National Championship in her final eligibility year at UConn. The 22-year-old guard opted not to declare for the 2024 WNBA draft, choosing instead to maximize her last chance for a title, especially after the heartbreaking 71-69 loss to Iowa last season.

In a recent interview with “Storrs Central”, Head coach Geno Auriemma acknowledges her commitment, stating, “She’s living up to what she said… I’d rather her do that than pass things up. There have been times this fall when we’re saying, ‘Hey, let’s get somebody else a bucket.’” As Bueckers enters this pivotal season, her experience and resilience will be vital for UConn’s success.

With the absence of Aaliyah Edwards and Nika Muhl, leadership will fall to Bueckers and Azzi Fudd, the mainstays from last season. Will Buecker lift the championship trophy at UConn, or will the challenge of leading a young team prove to be too much for her? Only time will tell.