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Following a disappointing finish to a challenging 2021–22 season, UConn star Paige Bueckers enters her junior year with an added load of expectations as she looks to re-claim her spot as the best player in the country.
Bueckers, who won national Player of the Year as a freshman, missed 19 games last season after undergoing surgery in December to repair an anterior tibial plateau fracture and lateral meniscus tear. The extended absence kept the star guard from truly finding her footing upon returning, and while she still managed to lead the Huskies to another national championship game, the program fell short of its goal in a blowout loss to Dawn Staley and South Carolina.
As Bueckers continues to prepare mentally and physically to embark on another run in the fall, UConn coach Geno Auriemma shared his goal for the former All-American during his first media availability since April’s title game.
“Different players have different goals this summer and her goal is get a little bit bigger, a little bit stronger,” he said, per The Stamford Advocate. “Paige has got a busy summer coming up. Plus, all the other stuff, you know. I said, ‘Paige you do a lot for a lot of people. Think it’s time to start doing a lot of stuff for yourself.’ ”
Listed at 5-foot-11 and 140 pounds, Bueckers possesses more of a slight build in comparison to some of her counterparts. Her profile as the Huskies’ top scorer influences opposing defenses to seek her out and be more physical in an attempt to slow her down. A prime example of this came in UConn’s two losses to South Carolina last season; Bueckers shot a combined 14-of-32 against the Gamecocks’ stout defense, including a 14-point effort on 6-of-13 shooting in April.
While Auriemma expressed his frustration over what he perceives as a lack of consistent officiating against Bueckers, he also added that he wants to see her take the next leap in terms of her own physicality.
“If you watch us play, nobody gets fouled more than she [Bueckers] does,” he said. “Nobody gets bumped off her cuts, nobody gets hit more. And like every other good player that we’ve ever had, or probably exist, most of the officials go, ‘Well she can handle it.’ “So, they don’t want to call anything because they don’t want to go, ‘Oh that’s special. That’s preferential treatment for Paige.’
“No, it’s called protecting the guy with the ball and protecting your guy who’s trying to get open on the wing or whatever the case may be. So, she needs to be strong enough to withstand all that.”
With seniors Olivia Nelson-Ododa, Christyn Williams and Evina Westbrook all drafted to the WNBA, Bueckers will also be expected to take on a leadership role while continuing to improve her game. The 20-year-old finished her sophomore season with a team-high 14.1 points per game while logging the second-most minutes per game (29.1) in 17 games played.
