UConn star Paige Bueckers makes dream come true admission after final home game
Yesterday at 11:21 AM
In the final home game of her college basketball career, Paige Bueckers had arguably the best game of her life. Tying a career-high 34 points, Bueckers led UConn to a second-round win over South Dakota State to advance to the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen.
After the game, Bueckers addressed the crowd in Harry A. Gampel Pavilion for the final time as a Husky. On behalf of the entire UConn women’s basketball team, Bueckers thanked the fans for giving her the career she “dreamt of” as a kid.
“On behalf of the seniors and our whole entire team, I’ve had the time of my life here,” Bueckers said. “It’s been the five years I’ve dreamt of as a kid. I can’t thank you enough… This will always be home.”
Buckers added three rebounds, four assists and four steals to her dominant performance. She did her damage in just 29 minutes, guiding UConn to an emphatic 91-57 victory.
Paige Bueckers BALLED OUT in her final home game at UConn:
34 PTS (T-career-high)
14-21 FG
4 STL | 4 ASTWELL DESERVED STANDING O pic.twitter.com/6OuFMushbN
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 25, 2025
Bueckers echoed her sentiment backstage in her post-game presser. There, she admitted her desire to “continue” her career at UConn, where she has never taken a single moment for granted.
“It’s been a dream to play here, a dream to wear this uniform [and] a dream to play in this environment,” Bueckers said. “As many more times as you want to continue to happen, you just take every single chance you have and never take it for granted.”
Technically, Bueckers could choose to continue playing at UConn if she wanted to. However, she has already all but declared for the 2025 WNBA Draft, where she is widely expected to be the No. 1 pick.
Paige Bueckers’ decorated UConn career
Bueckers and UConn advance to their fourth straight Sweet Sixteen with the win over South Dakota State. Coming off a Final Four loss to Iowa in 2024, the Huskies are seeking their first national championship since 2016.
A national championship is the lone missing piece of Bueckers’ already dominant collegiate career. She has achieved nearly every possible individual award a player could obtain, including three unanimous first-team All-American selections, one for each of her fully healthy seasons. UConn has won the Big East in all five of Bueckers’ years but has yet to secure a national title.
With USC star JuJu Watkins’ unfortunate injury, UConn is now favored to come out of Regional 4. Doing so would allow them to return to the Final Four. The Huskies’ next step in doing so will be come on March 29 against No. 3-seeded Oklahoma. UConn opened as a 14.5-point favorite to beat the Sooners and advance to the Elite Eight.
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