Sue Bird Says Paige Bueckers Has ‘Clutch Gene’ After UConn’s Elite Eight Win

The former Huskies star says Bueckers is "literally the definition of sky’s is the limit.”

Storm guard and former UConn standout Sue Bird knows the pedigree it takes to be an outstanding player in basketball. After watching UConn star Paige Bueckers explode for 27 points with 23 of them coming in the second half and extra periods in the Huskies’ 91-87 double overtime thriller against NC State, the four-time WNBA champion continued her praises for the talented sophomore.

Bird spoke with Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks about the “clutch gene” that Bueckers has and how every player does not have the power to be exceptional when it matters most. She told Rooks that Bueckers has an “endless ceiling.”

“... Like literally the definition of sky's is the limit,” Bird said. “She is clearly talented... She definitely has that clutch gene and the game is on the line.

“She has all of those things that a lot of us athletes get asked about... ‘how’s one get the clutch gene or how does one thrive in late game situations?’ There’s really no answer. Sometimes it is you either have it or you don't.”

SHEEEEEEEEEESH https://t.co/DY2FaB112c

— Sue Bird (@S10Bird) March 29, 2022

This is not the first time Bird, the WNBA’s all-time assists leader, commented on her love for Bueckers’ skills. In March 2021, Bird told ESPN’s Mechelle Voepel that she loved the guard’s ability to anticipate plays and making the right reads for ball movement. 

“Some of her passes, it’s less about the actual pass and more about the fact that she saw it in the moment,” Bird told ESPN. “That speaks to instinct.”

Bueckers and the Huskies will face Stanford in the program’s 14th consecutive Final Four on Friday. 

• Daily Cover: ‘This Whole Thing Has F---ed Me Up’