Women's Fastbreak On SI

Paige Bueckers Details 'Aggressive Mentality' in UConn Win Over Providence

Paige Bueckers was relentless on offense for UConn as the Huskies got back on track Sunday.

Grant Young

Dec 21, 2024; Hartford, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) moves the ball against USC Trojans guard Avery Howell (23) in the first half at XL Center. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
Dec 21, 2024; Hartford, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) moves the ball against USC Trojans guard Avery Howell (23) in the first half at XL Center. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

After eight days in between games and 12 days since their last win, the UConn Huskies women's basketball team improved to 11-2 on their 2024-25 campaign with a 67-41 win against the Providence Friars on Sunday.

Superstar guard Paige Bueckers led the way for the Huskies, as she finished the win with 23 points (19 of which came in the first half) on an extremely efficient 8 for 12 shooting from the floor. She also added 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals in just 27 minutes played.

Bueckers' aggression on offense has come into question ever since UConn's December 21 defeat to the USC Trojans, especially after former UConn Huskies player Maria Conlon compared her mentality unfavorably to that of Diana Taurasi during a December 24 "Husky Hoops" podcast episode.

Bueckers was certainly aggressive on Sunday. And after the game, she spoke about this mentality being a conscious decision on her end.

"Yeah," Bueckers told SNY when asked whether she made a concerted effort to shoot the ball more against Providence. "I mean, when you're sitting at home [over the holidays], you've got a lot of time to think, a lot of time to watch film and process what you've got to get better at.

"I'm just trying to take open shots, not over-penetrate when I get any space, be aggressive, look for my shot," Bueckers continued. "That leads to creating for others, and just leads to an aggressive mentality that the whole team can embody."

Perhaps Bueckers had heard the recent criticism. What's for sure is that the Huskies embodied their best player's mentality on Sunday.

Published
Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

Home/News