Paige Bueckers was able to watch her younger teammates put the finishing touches on another perfect run through the Big East schedule.
Then they surrounded her after UConn's 92-57 win over Marquette on Sunday as Bueckers became the latest women's basketball star to see her number added to the Huskies of Honor. Her No. 5 joined the likes of Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi, Rebecca Lobo, Sue Bird and Kerry Bascom.
Not long after, she addressed her legacy after her final regular-season game at UConn.
So how does Bueckers want to be remembered?
“A person who wore the jersey with pride, loved her teammates, loved her coaching staff and enjoyed the journey,” Bueckers said. ”“I just (want to) be remembered for being a great teammate and a great leader.”
Bueckers had 19 points, seven assists and three steals against Marquette. UConn is 31-1 at Gampel Pavilion when Bueckers is on the court. She has averaged 18.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.6 steals in her 32 games at Gampel.
UConn will host the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The Big East tournament will also be in Connecticut at Mohegan Sun Arena so this wasn’t really a farewell for the All-American guard.
Before the unveiling of Bueckers' jersey, UConn honored her and seniors Kaitlyn Chen, Azzi Fudd and Aubrey Griffin in a ceremony.
Fudd hasn't announced whether she will declare for the upcoming WNBA draft or return to UConn, Fudd played just two games during the 2023-24 season before suffering a season-ending injury. The 5-foot-11 guard would likely be a first-round pick in the WNBA Draft.
”I have to sit down, talk with my family and talk to people closest to me and talk about the decisions and the options," Fudd said. "I am a big pros and cons lister to get the emotions out of doing that and just write down the facts."
UConn has had players like Bueckers return when they could have made themselves eligible for the WNBA Draft while others left with eligibility remaining.
“I’ve always thought to myself that players have to be tremendously confident when they leave here about what the next step for them is and I just want her to make sure that she has played enough basketball here, done enough things, tested herself enough that she feels 100% ready to go,” UConn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma said, "Kids may ask my opinion but in the end, they are going to have to make that decision."
Auriemma expects to know Fudd's intentions in the next week or two.
Chen, who was a three-year starter at Princeton before transferring to UConn for her final collegiate season. joins freshman Sarah Strong as the only Huskies to start every game this season. Griffin made her 41st career start but first this season. Fudd had 12 points, Griffin added 11 points while Chen had two points.
