Women's Fastbreak On SI

'Picky' Paige Bueckers Strives For Perfection in UConn Leadership Role

UConn Huskies superstar Paige Bueckers is cutting no corners when it comes to setting an example for her younger teammates this season.

Grant Young

Nov 10, 2024; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) reacts after her basket against the South Florida Bulls in the first half at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
Nov 10, 2024; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) reacts after her basket against the South Florida Bulls in the first half at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

The UConn Huskies women's basketball team improved to 2-0 in the 2024-25 season after dominating South Florida by a score of 86-49 on Sunday,

Per usual, the Huskies were led on the court by star guard Paige Bueckers, who finished the game with 22 points (on an extremely efficient 9-10 shooting from the field) in 28 minutes played.

Much of the women's basketball world was introduced to Bueckers during her legendary freshman season when she became the first freshman to win the Naismith Trophy (which is given to the nation's best college basketball player) in NCAA history.

But that was four seasons ago. Bueckers is now a seasoned veteran and has been tasked to lead her UConn team, which is filled with young players.

And after the win, she sent a clear message about how she's choosing to do so.

"Just trying to get the tone with how hard I play, I've been trying to be disciplined... take great shots, get the ball moving, get everybody involved, make sure everybody is playing together," Bueckers told SNY's Chelsea Sherrod about her contributions on Sunday. "For me to be the team leader, me to want to show that, show the younger guys, show how we play here a UConn, it's everything that I want to do.

"I'm very picky with what I'm doing right now because I'm showing the younger guys what we're supposed to do here," she continued after noting that she missed a corner crash box out during the win. "And so I'm just trying to lead and be an example in that way."

Bueckers sounds like she's being a perfectionist with herself this season. So perhaps she's also lamenting the lone shot she missed out of her 10 attempts on Sunday.

Published |Modified
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