As with every edition of March Madness, 67 teams return home wondering “what if” — what if a shot fell, a pass connected, or a turnover was avoided. Only one team gets to celebrate when it’s all said and done. This year, that team is the UConn Huskies, and their celebrations have been loud and proud after beating Dawn Staley and her Gamecocks. But not everyone is happy for them. While Paige Bueckers and her squad continue to bask in the glory, a few have taken issue with how UConn has handled their moment. Sour grapes? Maybe.

UConn Huskies’ superstar guards Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd have been the talk of the town ever since they guided their team to a stunning win over the South Carolina Gamecocks on April 6 to clinch the 2025 NCAA national championship. The spotlight hasn’t left them!

From late-night laughs with Jimmy Fallon to early-morning chats on Good Morning America, the UConn stars are soaking in every bit of the championship spotlight– and why shouldn’t they? After pushing through injuries and adversity throughout their college journeys, this moment is nothing short of memorable.

But of course, not everyone is loving their victory lap. While most fans get that this is their time to shine, one South Carolina supporter took to social media to call out something about Bueckers’ recent spotlight run that didn’t sit too well with her.“Although I love Paige and I’m very happy for her success. I do want to point out this crazy national champ ‘world tour’ she’s going on, while last year not a single one of our SC girls got this treatment after going undefeated. Very interesting,” said a user on X.The comment sparked a bit of a storm, with many fans quick to retaliate. Let’s take a look at what some of them had to say.

UConn fans point out to Dawn Staley’s actions following last year’s championship win

Fans were clearly not having it with the South Carolina supporter who called out Paige for enjoying the spotlight. One fan on X flipped the script entirely, pointing the finger at Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley instead.“It’s because Dawn gets the attention and deals the girls should be getting. She is the star of SC while schools like UConn set their athletes up to get the attention they deserve. Athletes actually benefit from their work instead of the coach,” the user wrote. Another joined in with a similar take, saying,“Because their coach took their shine”

That’s definitely been the case. The Gamecocks are almost synonymous with Dawn Staley at this point. She’s built an empire in Columbia and has firmly cemented her status as one of the best coaches in the country. Three national championships in the last eight years? That kind of success puts her in a league of her own. And even with stars like A’ja Wilson, Aaliyah Boston, and Kamilla Cardoso coming through the program, the Gamecocks will always be remembered as Dawn Staley’s team.

But unfortunately for Dawn Staley, the criticism just kept piling on. One fan didn’t hold back, pointing out her post-title celebration last year by saying, “Because Dawn went on tour herself🫠.” Another echoed a similar sentiment, adding, “Blame Dawn for not letting anyone be bigger than the team. Dawn was on a world tour herself after the title.”

That certainly was the case last year after the Gamecocks beat Caitlin Clark’s Iowa. Since capturing her third national championship in April 2024, Dawn Staley was just about everywhere. She wasn’t just celebrating—she was advocating for women’s sports, popping up at the Paris Olympics and even sharing the stage with Kamilla Cardoso at a WNBA draft event. A quick scroll through her social media showed her taking pictures with just about everyone –from former President Barack Obama to NFL legend Tom Brady. She popped up at the New York Stock Exchange, a Gucci fashion show in Milan, the Balenciaga/Under Armour show in Shanghai, the Paris Olympics, and even the Democratic National Convention. She was everywhere.

Another fan joined in the conversation to make sure the point was crystal clear –this was about Paige Bueckers. They said, “Because they weren’t Paige Bueckers.” Now Paige Bueckers needs no new introduction. Freshman of the Year, National Player of the Year and now a championship to finish her career with the Huskies. She deserved it more than anyone after what she had to endure all these years with injuries. But this isn’t the only “world tour” the guard did. Remember the preseason?

She flaunted incredible fits and rolled VIP style to major events like the U.S. Open. She was also spotted courtside at multiple WNBA games, cheering on her former UConn teammates. But not everyone was thrilled but Paige had a reply for her haters. “I had a pretty good summer,” Paige joked. “I enjoyed it. It was like my first healthy offseason where I wasn’t in a place rehabbing, staying at school getting stronger, so I took advantage of it. Everybody saw the ‘World Tour,’ they didn’t see the ‘Work Tour,’ which is fine,” she said, clapping back at the critics. And honestly, if anyone deserved to bask in the glory, it was Paige herself.