This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, The 19-year-old freshman has already hit 3-pointers that sealed wins against rival Tennessee and then-No. Paige Bueckers was about 7, sitting on a couch watching the Los Angeles Lakers, when her dad told her to pay close attention to Kobe Bryant because he was such a clutch player. She was asked recently by assistant coach Jamelle Elliott about one day becoming a coach. Former UConn star and now ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo said that may be one reason those players accept her has a leader, despite her youth. "Because if I don't, we lose.". Paige Bueckers was about 7, sitting on a couch watching the Los Angeles Lakers, when her dad told her to pay close attention to Kobe Bryant because he was such a clutch player. Paige Bueckers is living up to the hype and rewriting the UConn record books The UConn freshman is special. "Most of the iconic freshman who’ve come in here have been surrounded by kids that had already been All-Americans," he said. “She’s that player,” he said. One of her best friends, 2018-19 high school player of the year Azzi Fudd, has been recruited to join her at UConn next season and she's looking forward to that partnership and to playing in front of UConn fans once the pandemic is over. 1 and No. 2 UConn to a 63-59 overtime victory Monday over top-ranked South Carolina. "She is blessed with not only talent, but a mind for the game, confidence and athleticism. MINNEAPOLIS - Just when you think Paige Bueckers has done it all, she keeps making more big shots in big moments. Bueckers gave Slam the most realistic description of her game to date: “I’ve got a particular way of carrying myself. “She celebrates her teammates more than she ever celebrates herself and that is the kind of teammate that is really, really easy to like,” she said. It wasn't luck, Bob Bueckers said. She hit a 3-pointer, stole the inbounds pass and laid it in. “I just wanted to be super good at it because I loved it so much and that’s just what I did all the time was play basketball.". 2, but ultimately, it came down to one player. Bueckers deflects praise, instead crediting her teammates, coaches and a deep faith in God for her success. The UConn star swept the Big East’s weekly awards Monday, winning both player of the week and freshman of the week. She understands what the other team is doing, when they are switching on screens or going underneath them. When she wasn’t there or in a nearby park shooting, she was in her room, working on her form or jumping up against a wall trying to improve her vertical leap, she said. Bueckers has heard the talk that she would be an WNBA lottery pick as soon as she is eligible. She is the fourth straight Gatorade high school player of the year to join UConn and the 11th since 1997. But Geno Auriemma said he has asked her to do more than star players such as Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore or Breanna Stewart needed to do in their first years. ©2021 FOX News Network, LLC. She said she enjoys being challenged, and knows that is what her 66-year-old coach is doing when he gets on her in practice, calling her a "walking turnover" or asking if she plans to hit any shots that day. She got a lethal combo, that’s for sure.”. “Most of the iconic freshman who’ve come in here have been surrounded by kids that had already been All-Americans,” he said. Paige Bueckers was about 7, sitting on a couch watching the Los Angeles Lakers, when her dad told her to pay close attention to Kobe Bryant because he was such a clutch player. She understands what the other team is doing, when they are switching on screens or going underneath them. ©2021 FOX News Network, LLC. "It’s in her DNA for sure, being able to do what she does," Bob Bueckers said. Connecticut is a modern powerhouse that brings No. The 19-year-old freshman has already hit 3-pointers that sealed wins against rival Tennessee and then-No. 1 high school recruits to campus and sends them off as No. No, Paige Bueckers’ mind stayed straight and when the moment mattered most, with the UConn lead down to two and the shot clock down to one, so was the freshman’s shot. She also played soccer and baseball (she liked that better than softball), where her dad said she excelled as a pitcher, catcher and shortstop with extraordinary hand-eye coordination. The Huskies’ current freshman class - led by Paige Bueckers, Aaliyah Edwards, Mir McLean, and Nika Muhl - has shown through 13 games that they get it. UConn freshman Paige Bueckers will miss Saturday’s game against Georgetown because of an ankle injury, the program said. Bueckers bounced a pass over to Olivia Nelson-Ododa. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks. 3 UConn to an 87-58 win on Friday night over Marquette in a … To Auriemma, she plays with a calmness that reminds him of NFL great Jim Brown setting up his blocks before exploding through a hole. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. She made Dean’s List her first semester at UConn. The coach said he has been impressed by the way his freshman star studies the game. But Geno Auriemma said he has asked her to do more than star players such as Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore or Breanna Stewart needed to do in their first years. All rights reserved. It wasn't luck, Bob Beuckers said. "It just means a whole lot to me for me to be able to be there for my team, especially when they are counting on me to hit those shots," Bueckers explained. David Butler II / USA Today / Pool. Market data provided by Factset. "But I told (Elliott) that kids don't listen well enough and I don't have the patience.". 1 draft picks. Her 31-point effort against the Gamecocks was the her third straight game scoring at least 30, something no other UConn player — including Taurasi, Moore or Stewart — has ever done. Connecticut guard Paige Bueckers, right, shoots against Seton Hall guard Mya Jackson (5) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Feb. 10 in Storrs, Conn. 2 Connecticut knocked off visiting No. Bueckers deflects praise, instead crediting her teammates, coaches and a deep faith in God for her success. She leads the nation in 3-point shooting, hitting just under 56 percent of her attempts and is UConn's leader in scoring (21.1 points per game), minutes played (36.5), assists (100) and steals (40). She's also thought about her future after basketball and is considering a degree in communications and sports broadcasting. Facebook Twitter Email Comments MILWAUKEE (AP) — Freshman Paige Bueckers scored 30 points to lead No. Paige Bueckers scored 31 points as No. Money. STORRS, Conn. (AP) — Paige Bueckers scored 31 points, including her team’s final 13, to lead No. But she said she plans to earn her degree at UConn before moving on to fulfill her dream of playing professionally. By Ricky O'Donnell Feb 9, 2021, 11:56am EST Legal Statement. or redistributed. FILE - Connecticut guard Nika Muhl (10) hugs guard Paige Bueckers (5) after defeating South Carolina in overtime of an NCAA college basketball game in Storrs, Conn., in this Monday, Feb. 8, … Bueckers and Auriemma also seem to understand each other. Bueckers has heard the talk that she would be an WNBA lottery pick as soon as she is eligible. She’s been named the Big East’s player and freshman of the week for two consecutive weeks. facebook twitter reddit link It was a matchup between No. Paige Bueckers was about 7, sitting on a couch watching the Los Angeles Lakers, when her dad told her to pay close attention to Kobe Bryant because he was such a clutch player. She leads the nation in 3-point shooting, hitting just under 56% of her attempts and is UConn's leader in scoring (21.1 points per game), minutes played (36.5), assists (100) and steals (40). Facebook; Twitter; Facebook Messenger; Pinterest; Email; print; Paige Bueckers is still more than a month away from playing her first game for … PAIGE BUECKERS ð ¥First player in UConn history with 3 straight 30-point games. Bueckers became a leader early. Eighteen gams into her college career at the top women's program of all time, Bueckers has already set records. UConn announced she … Boston went directly to Liv, who took a dribble, turned and passed back to Bueckers behind the arc. Paige Bueckers The UConn bias is real. I’m not that cocky, so if anyone talks to me about garbage, I’ll talk about trash.” "Every hour of every single day, I always wanted to have a basketball in my hand," she said. Also absent is sophomore Anna Makurat. “She was carrying us.” Beal dashed out to Bueckers, got a hand in her face. Former UConn star and now ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo said that may be one reason those players accept her has a leader, despite her youth. “She’s that player that comes along that people talk about — ‘Hey did you see that kid from Connecticut?’ She’s that kid.”. “That will always be in the back of my head, because I never want to get away from basketball,” she said. 1 South Carolina. "She celebrates her teammates more than she ever celebrates herself and that is the kind of teammate that is really, really easy to like," she said. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. The UConn women's basketball program never lacks for talent or star power. 1 South Carolina 63-59 in overtime Monday night in a battle of nonconference women's … Individual donations are behind the clarity in coverage from our reporters across the state, stories that connect us, and conversations that provide perspectives. In Storrs, Connecticut, the legend of freshman Paige Bueckers … "You have to take it, swallow it and get better from it.". As if she had made 11 of her first 12 shots and not missed 11 of 12. Paige Bueckers Twitter: Instagram: Paige Bueckers Instagram: View more / View less Facts of Paige Bueckers: Paige Bueckers (20 th October 2001 in Edina, Minnesota, the United States) is an American college basketball player for the UConn Huskies of the Big East Conference. "That will always be in the back of my head, because I never want to get away from basketball," she said. They had what is their finest two hours as a group Wednesday in a 94-62 Big East home win over St. John’s. Paige asked what that meant and Bob Bueckers explained that Bryant played his best when his team needed him the most. To Auriemma, she plays with a calmness that reminds him of NFL great Jim Brown setting up his blocks before exploding through a hole. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. She got a lethal combo, that’s for sure.". facebook twitter reddit link It was a matchup between No. The accolades keep rolling in for Paige Bueckers. Paige Bueckers has lived up to the hype as a true freshman, and her legend continues to grow. Monday night, she did it on the national stage as No. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. “She is blessed with not only talent, but a mind for the game, confidence and athleticism. Paige Bueckers was about 7, sitting on a couch watching the Los Angeles Lakers, when her dad told her to pay close attention to Kobe Bryant because he was such a clutch player. "So for her to grow and feel comfortable to say to a junior, ‘This is what you need to do or this is what they are doing and this is how we counter it,' to be that voice in the huddle is important.". Bueckers and Auriemma also seem to understand each other. Facebook; Twitter; Facebook Messenger; Pinterest; Email; print; Editor's note: Paige Bueckers was named the Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year on Friday. “It’s in her DNA for sure, being able to do what she does,” Bob Bueckers said. Cash. By Ricky O'Donnell Feb 9, 2021, 11:56am EST Clark shares the weekly award with UConn’s, Class of 2020 top recruit, Paige Bueckers. Help ensure MPR remains a resource that brings Minnesotans together. All rights reserved. 1 and No. Bueckers deflects praise, instead crediting her teammates, coaches and a faith! 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