Rebecca Lobo Notes Historic Paige Bueckers Detail Amid UConn NCAA Tournament Win
Just a few months ago, there was some discussion within the women's basketball community about whether UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers truly deserved to be the No. 1 pick of the 2025 WNBA Draft, or whether her play this season prompted some debate about whether there's a case to be made that Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles could take that top spot away from her.
That conversation has since died down, as Bueckers has continued to show that not only is she one of the sport's biggest superstars but is also a generational talent on the court.
The aspect of Bueckers' game that shines brightest is her efficiency. And former UConn Huskies icon and basketball legend Rebecca Lobo put this into historical context during the broadcast of UConn's March 22 NCAA Tournament game.
"It's remarkable what Paige Bueckers has done in her career. The most remarkable thing to me when it comes to her statistics, she has a 50/40/85 efficiency over the course of her career. Over the last 25 years, no other player has been a 50/40/85 for their career," Lobo said.
For those who are unaware, '50/40/85' means Bueckers has shot 50% on all field goals, 40% from three-point range, and 85% on free throws across her college career.
Lobo continued with, "For her next free throw make, she'll be a 50/40/90 for the season. She leads the nation in assist-to-turnover [ratio]. We have not had that happen in the last 25 years, which is as far as the database goes. I would venture to think it has never happened before.
"And based on those numbers, she is the most efficient player we have ever seen in the women's college game."
Is Paige Bueckers the most efficient player in the history of Women’s College Basketball? She is certainly the most efficient in the last 25 years. (Research: Carter Roche, Jenni LaCroix and Her Hoop Stats.) pic.twitter.com/UbI5sv5NPc
— Rebecca Lobo (@RebeccaLobo) March 23, 2025
While that's a bold final statement to make, efficiency typically carries over from college to the professional game.
There's no debate about who the top pick of the 2025 WNBA Draft should be.
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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.