“Worst Offensive Performance”: Despite Paige Buecker’s 27-Point Resilience, UConn’s Coach Bashes #2 Team’s Early Upset

It didn’t take long for another significant upset to occur after No. 1 LSU dropped its season opener. Now, No. 2 UConn fell to unranked N.C. State 92-81 in its second game of the year. Paige Bueckers, a key player for the Huskies, scored 27 points, but it was insufficient to stop Wolfpack junior guard Saniya Rivers from having a spectacular game. Rivers finished with 33 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, three steals, and three blocks. After Conn’s one-point advantage at the half, an 11-0 run by N.C. State early in the fourth quarter allowed them to gain the upper hand.

Prior to Sunday’s game, NC State had defeated the Huskies in the Elite Eight back in 1998 but had lost six straight against them. Although Buecker’s return to her typical self was welcome, UConn’s problems on the offensive end of the court made them venerable.

A shredding bash from Conn’s coach

According to CT Insider’s Maggie Vanoni, during the game, UConn head coach Gino Auriemma informed his NC State opponent Wes Moore that the Wolfpack squad is “ten times better than last year”.

But the Huskies’ offensive effort was evident, as two of their starters scored more than 20 points. Paige Bueckers scored 27 points, while Aaliyah Edwards added 21. After her ACL injury recovery, Bueckers was participating in her second game, but all her efforts were in vain. Her coach was clearly upset in the post-game presser.

Regarding his squad, Auriemma remarked, “We weren’t mature enough to handle it. Compared to NC State, UConn pulled down 29 rebounds as opposed to the Wolfpack’s 41. NC State took advantage of 12 second-chance scores and 12 points off rebounds. We need to change our negative mindset towards rebounding.”

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He also remarked that the offensive gameplay was not up to par. “So the two issues for me were big picture,” he added. “This was the worst offensive performance in terms of running our offense in terms of ball movement.”

Paige Bueckers’ Return

Amid all this, Paige Bueckers made a major return to the 2023 season following an ACL injury. The 2021 national player of the year made her court debut in August 2022, guiding No. 2 UConn to a 102-58 victory against Dayton at the XL Center.

Bueckers appeared in her first game in 584 days, playing 21 minutes and ending with 8 points on 3-for-9 shooting, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal.

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But Paige’s second game against NC was a disaster despite scoring 27 points.