The 11-time NCAA champions UConn Huskies started their 2023-24 edition with so much promise. However, their campaign has been eclipsed by setbacks caused by multiple season-ending injuries to their star players. Yet, the Huskies’ star guard, Paige Bueckers, saved UConn’s ship from sinking by being their standout performer so far this season.

Further, she also managed to rank No. 3 for the overall pick in ESPN’s mock draft, if she chooses to give a green flag to the opportunity. After all, the 22-year-old will also be eligible for the 2024 WNBA draft by the end of her junior season. What makes her one of the most preferred scouts for some of the top teams in the WNBA?

Paige Bueckers: Her story in numbers

The All-American Bueckers is correctly justifying her talent with her stats this season. The explosive No.5 of the Huskies is leading the offensive charts of her team. Currently, in the 14 games played so far, she has bagged 289 points at a stellar average of 19.3 points per game. Consequently, that places her at the 33rd position in the overall NCAA rankings. The standout feature of her game this season is her impeccable accuracy from beyond the arc. Apparently, she is the team’s best 3-point range shooter burying 50.8% of her attempts. As a result, these are her career-best figures from long range.

Meanwhile, her shooting efficiency from the field is not so bad either. Currently, she is notching 53.9% of her field shots. Moreover, she also has the second-best numbers when it comes to providing assists to her teammates. She has claimed 56 assists at a decent rate of 3.7 per game. Talking about her defense potential, she has grabbed 62 rebounds with an average of 4.1 per contest which is the third-best figure in UConn’s locker room. Also, her 17 blocks at 1.1 block per game are the most for the Huskies this time around.

The 22-year-old guard is clearly a two-way weapon as she is also averaging 2.2 steals this season. Despite stacking up such impressive digits, Paige Bueckers is uncertain. It seems she hasn’t made up her mind on whether or not she wants to play professional basketball yet.

What are Buecker’s thoughts on joining the WNBA?

Recently, the 6 ft point guard expressed her desire to play more college basketball alongside her currently injured teammates. Seemingly, she indicated that she might return for another season as the recovery of Azzi Fudd and Aubrey Griffin will be a “deciding factor” in whether she’ll declare for the 2024 WNBA draft.

During a recently conducted interview by The Associated Press, Bueckers explained, “I think that’s what it’s all about. It’s not about teams in the draft; who’s got what pick. It’s all about me loving playing here. Me loving my teammates and wanting to get more experiences and more time with them and more time in the program. And so that’s I think the deciding factor. Just wanting to be here longer.” 

This decision is also a consideration as Azzi Fudd has announced her return in UConn’s next campaign. Chances are that the Huskies guard Aubrey Griffin also just might reappear after a bad injury to her knee recently. Nonetheless, playing along with these spectacular players seems to be on the to-do list for Bueckers before she takes on the next chapter in her basketball journey.

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Undoubtedly, Paige has accomplished a lot even after multiple reasons that stopped her from completely showing off her ecstatic skills on the hardwood.

What has Paige Bueckers accomplished at UConn?

Despite losing her sophomore year due to a knee injury, which was later followed by an ACL tear that forced her out of the entire 2022-23 season, Paige Bueckers still carved a reputation for herself in the Huskies outfit. She led the team to the NCAA semifinals back in 2021. After this, she guided them to the 2022 National Championship game, which they eventually lost to South Carolina. Moreover, she was the first freshman who went on to become the National Player of the Year. Additionally, she has also been a recipient of AP Player of the Year, Naismith College Player of the Year, and the John R. Wooden Award.

Apparently, Bueckers has two seasons of eligibility left as a college basketball player. One season is because of the disruptions caused during the coronavirus pandemic. Another is because she took the medical redshirt last season after coming back from her second knee injury at UConn. Nevertheless, nothing seems to be stopping this incredible Huskies player and we could not be happier about it.

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What do you think about Paige’s WNBA draft status? Let us know in the comments below.