UConn women's basketball star Paige Bueckers announced Friday night that she's returning for the 2024-25 season, news that will send shockwaves through the Huskies and the WNBA, where she was projected to be a 2024 lottery pick.
Bueckers made the announcement in front of a packed crowd at Gampel Pavilion during a senior night ceremony following the Huskies' 85-44 victory over Georgetown.
"I know everybody wants me to address the elephant in the room," Bueckers said. "Unfortunately this will not be my last senior night here at UConn."
Bueckers, a redshirt junior, was the projected No. 3 pick in ESPN's latest WNBA mock draft.
Bueckers had previously hinted at the possibility of returning to UConn but saved the official announcement for Friday, ending any speculation about her future before the No. 15 Huskies (22-5) gear up for the NCAA tournament.
"Just the family camaraderie here, just loving it here, loving my teammates, loving my coaches, me not having the four years that I planned on, not being able to play as much," Bueckers said when asked by SNY about her decision. "I just feel like I'm not done yet here. I feel like God is still writing my story here. I'm just blessed to be a part of this program, and I never want it to end."
Bueckers led UConn to the Final Four as a freshman, becoming the first freshman to win the Wooden, Naismith, Associated Press and USBWA player of the year awards, before leading the Huskies to the national title game as a sophomore.
But her past three years at UConn have been spoiled by what-ifs due to injuries, either her own or her teammates'. Following her stellar freshman season, Bueckers was limited to 17 games by a knee injury and then tore an ACL in August 2022, sidelining her for the 2022-23 season.
In Bueckers' first full season back, she is averaging 20 points (shooting 53.2% from the field, 43.7% from 3), 4.6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2.2 steals and 1 block per game. However, the Huskies currently have five players out for the season because of injury, including Bueckers' close friend, Azzi Fudd.
Bueckers and Fudd, both former No. 1 overall recruits, dreamt of playing and winning together at UConn, but because of their respective injuries have shared the court for only 17 games across three seasons, including just two this season.
With Bueckers out last season, UConn was stunned in the Sweet 16 by Ohio State, snapping the program's streak of 14 consecutive Final Four appearances. The 11-time national champions have not won the national title since 2016, Breanna Stewart's senior year. Prior to this season's rash of injuries, optimism in Connecticut was high that this would be the Huskies' best shot since then of hoisting the trophy.
"I think the great unknown is no pandemic, no injuries, what could it have been the last four years with a bunch of healthy bodies," coach Geno Auriemma said after the announcement. "The stars were all lined up wrong that contributed to the injuries, and then all the sudden they lined up right and it allows us to take advantage of these unique opportunities.
"I just want it to work out for them, I really do. I desperately want it to work out for them."
Auriemma, who with the victory tied Mike Krzyzewski for the second-most wins in Division I men's or women's basketball (1,202), also extinguished any doubt that he would be stepping away by confirming he'll be back next season.
Also during the ceremony, graduate student Aubrey Griffin announced she will return. Griffin tore an ACL in January and has another year of eligibility left.
Fellow seniors Nika Muhl and Aaliyah Edwards, who both could also return in 2024-25, were noncommittal on their impending decisions, although Auriemma indicated after the game that he thinks Muhl is "looking forward to the next step in her career ... [but it] doesn't mean the season ends and she has a change of heart."