Paige Bueckers Aims for Championship Glory in Final College Game

In what promises to be a thrilling conclusion to her college career, Paige Bueckers has her sights set on achieving her ultimate dream: securing a national championship with UConn. Poised to be the top pick in this month’s WNBA draft, Bueckers and the No. 2 seed Huskies delivered a sensational performance against UCLA, the No. 1 overall seed. With a commanding 85-51 victory in Friday’s national semifinal, they set a new women’s Final Four record for the widest winning margin, propelling UConn to their 13th national title game appearance. UConn also made history by becoming the first women’s team to defeat a No. 1 seed by over 30 points in the tournament. UConn’s coach, Geno Auriemma, expressed being “humbled” by the team’s spectacular showing. “It’s incredible how things unfolded,” he remarked. “We didn’t go in expecting to win by 35 points. That’s just unbelievable.” The Huskies now prepare to face defending champions South Carolina on Sunday, revisiting the 2022 final where the Gamecocks emerged victorious. UConn starts as a 5.5-point favorite according to ESPN BET.

Heading into this highly anticipated weekend, Auriemma shared, “We felt this was our best chance in years to win a championship, and it wasn’t just riding on the back of one player needing an exceptional night for us to take it all.” Reflecting on previous seasons, he added, “If Paige had a game like today back then, our chances would have been slim. But look at today; our team is much more complete. That’s why we’re here.” The game was essentially decided in the first half as UConn dominated both offensively and defensively, securing a 42-22 lead at halftime. The Huskies’ defense was relentless, forcing 19 turnovers from the Bruins, 14 of which came before halftime, systematically neutralizing UCLA’s roster except for Betts. Despite Betts, a leading All-American and top defensive player, scoring 26 points on 11-of-18 shooting, no other UCLA player managed more than eight points.