This story has been updated to reflect Paige Buecker’s playing status.
UConn star Paige Buckers was injured during a January 5 matchup against Villanova. If you’re here, you might wonder: When will she return to the court?
Here’s the answer. It’s uncertain when she will be back.
On Tuesday, Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma explained that she has a knee sprain. Thankfully, there is no tear and her ankle, which was also thought to be injured, is fine. Bueckers “could return within a week,” but her timeline for return is unclear. If she misses the next several days or so of action, that would likely be matchups against Xavier, Georgetown and St. John’s.
.@UConnWBB coach Geno Auriemma said Paige Bueckers has injury similar to Azzi Fudd’s recent injury. She won’t play tomorrow but it is not a season-ending injury pic.twitter.com/jNeZKmJYod
NEW YORK — Sitting in a suite at the world’s most famous arena is a women’s basketball star of equal acclaim: Paige Bueckers.
In what somehow feels like just yesterday and also a lifetime ago, the UConn women’s basketball point guard had one of the most sensational freshman campaigns we have ever seen from an NCAA basketball player.
After later missing significant time due to a very rare knee injury, she continued playing some of her best basketball yet again once healthy.
Now in what is very likely her final year of college, she is focused on pursuing her first collegiate national championship before she eventually turns pro.
But on Monday night, Bueckers found some time on a well-earned off-day to relax. She wore a grey Eric Emanuel sweatsuit with Swarovski crystals and in New York City, she decided to watch some NBA basketball with all of her teammates.
Despite suffering a minor injury the previous night on Sunday against Villanova, the UConn star caught up with For The Win in the Verizon Club at Madison Square Garden while the Knicks played the Magic on Monday.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
How has Minnesota produced so many great basketball players recently like you, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Suggs?
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Bueckers: The fact that it is so cold there, people who play basketball are inside the gym all of the time working on their craft and getting better. I think it’s an escape from the cold just to be able to play. I think the “Minnesota Nice” phrase comes to mind. People from Minnesota have a chip on their shoulder just because they’re not expected to be good basketball players. We all have this toughness about us.
It means everything to be able to represent Minnesota. It is known as a hockey state but the basketball production is great as well. I’m close with Jalen and Chet and so many other basketball players who have done so well these past few years. It’s really cool to see the growth and the exposure and Minnesota getting a little bit of credit for basketball.
What are the top storylines everyone should know in women’s basketball right now?
Bueckers: The growth. The amount of talent throughout college, the WNBA, and even high school. The more exposure we get, you see the views going up and the attention going up and the accessibility to watch going up. You see positive results every single time. I think we need to acknowledge that women’s basketball is great to watch. Whenever we get the platform, we perform. There are big names, but when you tune in to watch the big names, you leave as fans of so many others because it is such a beautiful sport we play and it is a team effort.
Bueckers: USC’s JuJu Watkins was a great matchup with me. She gets the attention she deserves. Olivia Miles is another player, and she plays with another great player in Hannah Hidalgo. Those two together are tough. My teammate Sarah Strong is extremely good. She is just a freshman but she has shown everybody how great she is already. We play Tennessee and South Carolina on the road in February and those are going to be great games. Those are great teams. Tennessee and UConn always have a rivalry.
What is something you have picked up from Geno Auriemma if you were to ever coach?
(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Bueckers: I would take his ability to challenge his players. I feel like he has a good spot on his players and how to challenge them and how to support them and when to use which. But that comes with connecting with his players, building relationships with his players, and that is the most important part of what makes him a great coach.
But he is our toughest opponent every single day at practice so we are prepared for the biggest games. When the opponent is shooting 100 percent on 3-pointers or when the crowd is crazy, he is the toughest opponent and he prepares us that way every single day.
Do you feel you have been more aggressive after returning to UConn for one more season?
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Bueckers: It is going well. It is all a toss up because you don’t want to get outside of yourself and outside of the team and start shot-hunting. But I’m looking to be aggressive first and look for my shot and that leads to distribution to others and getting my teammates open. I think I’ve done a pretty good job. I’m growing every single day.
I can only get better from here as well. It is all part of the new challenges that this year has presented. We are very young and we don’t have a ton of experience. So being a leader and having to use my voice and find that new challenge every single day, I’ve enjoyed growing and learning and embracing the ups and downs of it.
You have the first player edition shoe for an NCAA player. Do you think we will ever see a collegiate signature shoe and what would yours look like?
(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Bueckers: It is very cool to have a player edition shoe. I’m very blessed and grateful. It is an amazing opportunity. I’m extremely grateful to Nike that they saw that in me.
That’s a good question about the signature shoe, though. I think it might be coming down the line. Obviously, with players starting to sign in high school now, it can be in the works sooner. I like low-top shoes. I love Kobe’s. I like Sabrina’s now. I would want it to look different, though. There are so many shoes that are starting to look similar. So I’d have to make mine pretty different, I think.
How big of a role did NIL opportunities play in your decision to return to college?
Bueckers: I don’t think NIL necessarily played a big role in me coming back. But it has done tremendous things for me and players around the country so we can build our brand and our platform and these relationships with different brands and people. You can continue to help grow who you are and grow who your teammates are with this platform. NIL has seen more college players in the media and commercials, so it is great for the growth of the game as well. A lot of these players deserve what they are getting and they work hard for it, so it is such a beautiful thing to see.
How do you choose your NIL deals and what are some things you look for?
Bueckers: I think giving back is huge. I like to have opportunities to give back to my hometown and where I am playing now and where I want to play in the future. I want to give opportunities to people who are less fortunate. I definitely want to run camps in the future. When I leave college, I’ll have more time in the offseason where I invite kids and give back to communities who need it and deserve it. I’ve been very blessed growing up so I just want to give the platform that I have.
So for example, I’m at the Knicks game tonight with Verizon. They have a lot of the same values that I do. We’re working together for the future with that, which is really exciting. They’ve done a tremendous job with me here tonight inviting us to the lounge and suite and they gave me the opportunity to give gifts to my teammates. I think that is huge. I’m not getting these deals by myself. My opportunities play a huge part in that. No success in basketball is an individual thing. It is a team thing. So being able to share that with my teammates is amazing.
JuJu Watkins played like a superstar against UConn and was richly rewarded for her performance.
On Saturday night, the USC women’s basketball team earned a statement victory over UConn on the road. Following the performance, accolades and recognition have begun to come in for the Trojans. At the center of it all has been star sophomore guard Juju Watkins.
On Monday, Watkins was named the Big Ten Player of the Week. On Tuesday, she followed that up by earning national player of the week honors from both the AP and USBWA.
It was Watkins’ second time this season earning both honors. It is obviously still very early with the vast majority of conference play yet to be played, but at this point, she is widely considered the favorite to win Big Ten player of the year.
With the victory over UConn, the Trojans also rose to No. 4 in the AP Poll. The three teams ahead of USC are No. 1 UCLA, No. 2 South Carolina, and No. 3 Notre Dame.
With their nonconference slate complete, the Women of Troy will now gear up for the heart of their Big Ten schedule. Up next is a matchup with No. 23 Michigan at Galen Center on Sunday night.
It was a statement victory for Lindsay Gottlieb and the Trojans. Coming off of last season’s Slite Eight run, USC entered 2024-2025 with the program’s highest expectations in decades. However, in their only other game of the season against a top 15 opponent, the Women of Troy were upset at home by Notre Dame.
Heading into Saturday’s matchup, the 2024-2025 USC team had yet to prove that they could beat an elite opponent. Against UConn, the Trojans did just that, putting together a gutsy performance to grind out a victory on the road in a hostile environment.
In addition to earning a major resume boost, USC made a statement by beating UConn. They proved that last season’s run to the Elite Eight was not a one-off.
Last season was obviously an incredible one for the USC women’s basketball program. While the expectation was that the Women of Troy would build off of that success, you can never be certain of such in today’s landscape of college sports. While USC returned superstar Juju Watkins and added several key players in the transfer portal, the Trojans did lose three of five starters from last year’s team.
Saturday night, however, but to bed the notion that the Women of Troy would be a one-hit wonder. By taking down the sport’s premier program of the past two decades, USC proved that this program under Gottlieb is a force to be reckoned with. And if the current trend is any indication, that will be the case for years to come.
UConn freshman Sarah Strong was so good when the Huskies played Iowa State that Cyclones head coach Bill Fennelly couldn’t believe it.
Listen, we tried to tell everyone about Sarah Strong. We even made this handy dandy guide of stellar freshmen you need to know headlined by her. However, we realize that not everyone will pay attention to what we say. Sometimes, they have to see it in person, and that’s precisely what happened to Bill Fennelly.
On Tuesday, Strong went scorched earth on the Cyclones, dropping 17 points in the 3rd quarter alone, as she shot her way to a career-high 29 points. (She also added nine rebounds and four assists, because why not.) Postgame, Fennelly was stunned by what he witnessed. “I don’t know if you can put it into words,” he told the media. “There’s certain people — Geno’s had them over the years — that the game looks really easy and it just pisses you off…She was so much better live than on video.”
Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly on Sarah Strong: "I don't know if you can put it into words. There's certain people – Geno's had them over the years – that the game looks really easy and it just pisses you off (laughs)… She was so much better live than on video."
On Wednesday night, plenty of shenanigans were happening to honor Uconn coach Geno Auriemma for his new all-time wins record, including a literal goat. But Paige Bueckers and the team wearing blonde wigs to celebrate Geno’s long-time coaching partner, Chris Dailey, might be the best of the night.
Geno doesn’t reach the top of college basketball’s wins list without receiving help along the way. Someone was there to support him and help UConn become the powerhouse it is. That person is coach Chris Dailey, who has been by Geno’s side for 40 years. YES. FORTY YEARS.
That kind of tenure is invaluable. So, to make sure that Dailey also felt love on such a massive night for the program, Paige Bueckers and UConn wore blonde wigs to a postgame press conference and in the locker room. Of course, as you might suspect, it was Paige’s idea. BRILLIANT.
UNC women’s basketball lost for the first time this season on Friday night, dropping a ranked battle against Paige Bueckers and UConn.
After three straight wins to open the 2024-25 women’s basketball season, the North Carolina Tar Heels ended up on the wrong side of a Friday night battle against No. 2 Connecticut.
The Huskies pulled away for a convincing 69-58 victory thanks to 29 points from star senior Paige Bueckers.
The Tar Heels beat Charleston Southern, UNC Wilmington, and North Carolina A&T all by at least 19 points to jump over the Blue Devils in the latest USA TODAY Sports Women’s Basketball Coaches Poll, but they never stood a chance on Friday.
Bueckers scored five points in the first 90 seconds, and the Huskies led 25-14 after the opening 10 minutes. She finished the game with four rebounds and assists apiece, and freshman Sarah Strong (a North Carolina native) tacked on 14 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists in the dominant display.
UNC and Duke face off for the first time in Chapel Hill on January 9th before a battle in Durham on February 27.
Here’s when Geno Auriemma could make college basketball history.
UConn head coach Geno Auriemma is on pace to make college basketball history this season. If you’re here, you’re probably wondering when he could break the sport’s all-time wins record.
Here’s the answer: Per Maggie Vanoni of CT Insider, if UConn wins its first four games of the season, Geno will surpass the current record holder Tara VanDerveer (1,216) on November 20 when the Huskies play the FDU Knights, pushing him to 1,217 total career wins.
The fantastic thing is that UConn seemingly expects him to do it that night because several former players will already be on hand that day to celebrate the school’s national championships, and tickets to that game are already sold out.
Geno Auriemma is ranting about the NIL system — again.
UConn coach Geno Auriemma went on another rant about the NIL landscape and offered his solutions to fix the system.
This isn’t the first time the women’s basketball coach has expressed disapproval of how NIL currently works. He landed in hot water in January after lamenting the transfer portal’s challenges. During a speech, fans thought he was seemingly taking a swipe at a former player who transferred to another school.
Earlier this week, Auriemma was asked about suggestions he might have to fix NIL. Geno didn’t appear upset about NIL itself or any players getting paid. He’s seemingly frustrated that the NCAA hasn’t crafted any rules yet to fix some of the issues. Here’s what he said: (See the clip below/19:26 mark of the YouTube video. Warning: NSFW language):
“Do we keep the charade of student athlete and amateurism? Or do we call it what it is — semi-professional, pay-for-play sports? Keep the charade of student-athlete…Let’s just call it what it is. We’re gonna pay these guys to play basketball…and then let’s make it a business and figure out how do we manage this business.”
“Other sports have done it…They sign kids to contracts, and then you’re bound to your contract…Let’s do it. You already got kids holding out. You already got guys playing and going, ‘I ain’t playing until I get more money’. So, we become professional sports. Let’s say it, and let’s act it. And let’s stop the charade…”
“Let’s sign kids to a contract, and let’s put a buy-out in. Let’s make it a business because that’s exactly what it is. That would fix it. And let’s have a salary cap…”
Geno Auriemma on NIL: "Do we keep the charade of student-athlete, or do we call it what it is — semi-professional, pay-for-play sports?"
On the transfer portal: "How about we teach kids how to make a commitment and stick to it? Let's make it a business." pic.twitter.com/foijvj7cpt
JuJu Watkins and Paige Bueckers met on April 1 of this year. They will meet again in December on national TV.
USC and UConn met in the Elite Eight at the 2024 Women’s NCAA Tournament. These two women’s basketball powers are among the favorites to reach the 2025 Women’s Final Four. USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb and UConn coach Geno Auriemma want their teams to be tested and challenged, so it should come as no surprise that the two coaches set up a made-for-TV college basketball showcase.
JuJu Watkins of USC and Paige Bueckers of UConn are expected to be the two foremost stars in women’s college basketball next season. If USC and UConn live up to their potential, JuJu and Paige could meet at the Final Four. Because of this game in the regular season, a Final Four clash would be a rematch.
USC has an upgraded roster this women’s basketball season. Kiki Iriafen and Talia von Oelhoffen have significantly improved the quality of the Trojans’ projected starting five. USC also has the No. 1-ranked recruiting class in the country for the 2024 cycle. UConn should be better next season if only because the Huskies were hammered by injuries this past season and should have a lot more depth than they did in 2024.
NEWS: FOX Sports has announced a marquee women's basketball showdown for next season between two of the nation's best teams and players.
USC at UConn. Dec. 21 on FOX. Paige Bueckers vs. JuJu Watkins.
Terrific matchup, and great work by Lindsay Gottlieb and Geno Auriemma.
