Despite her numerous collegiate accomplishments, UConn guard Paige Bueckers remains haunted by one elusive goal: winning a national championship. According to head coach Geno Auriemma, this lingering challenge weighs heavily on the star player, despite her impressive performances.
Bueckers has played a pivotal role in the Huskies’ successful 9-1 record this season, averaging 20 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 10 games. Her stellar play has made her a top contender for the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, where she’s projected to land with the Dallas Wings. However, even after making three Final Four appearances, the national title remains out of reach—a reality Auriemma believes might trouble her.
“I think it scares her to leave here and be the best player ever to play at UConn without winning a national championship—that it affects your legacy a little bit,” Auriemma told The Athletic. “I’ve never said that, and I don’t believe that, but I’ve gotta believe she thinks that, that she needs that to validate who she is.
“I don’t believe that that’s the ultimate identifier of what true success is.”
Auriemma, a coaching legend with 11 NCAA National Championships and eight Naismith National Coach of the Year Awards, has guided several UConn greats, including Maya Moore and Breanna Stewart, who won two and four NCAA titles, respectively, during their college careers.
While Bueckers is still chasing her championship dream, she’s not alone. Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark also fell short despite leading Iowa to back-to-back Final Four appearances. Reflecting on her journey in April, Clark dismissed the idea that her legacy is defined solely by winning a national title.
“No, I don’t think so at all,” Clark said, emphasizing that her legacy is about much more than championship wins. “I’ve played basketball at this university for four years, and for it to come down to two games—and that be whether or not I’m proud of myself and proud of the way I’ve carried myself and proud of the way I’ve impacted people in their lives—I don’t think that’s a fair assessment.
“I guess going forward, and I’ve talked about this with my legacy, I don’t want my legacy to be, ‘Oh, Caitlin won x amount of games,’ or ‘Caitlin scored x amount of points.’ I hope it’s what I was able to do for the game of women’s basketball. I hope it is the young boys and young girls that are inspired to play this sport or dream to do whatever they want to do in their lives.”
