On December 10 UConn's Coach Geno Auriemma heaped praise on his former star Paige Bueckers, who will make her senior USA Basketball debut this weekend when she and several WNBA and NCAA counterparts assemble in Durham, North Carolina, for training camp. Auriemma told CT Insider Bueckers has "everything she needs" to emerge as a leader of the group.
That's a pretty lofty compliment no matter who you are, and Auriemma and Bueckers have a close bond — which makes it all the more meaningful. But while speaking to reporters ahead of training camp Thursday, Bueckers made sure to make a salient point: Auriemma "has given me a lot of great tools, so that's probably where that insight is coming from, to where he thinks I'll be a great one. It was more of a compliment to himself, but yeah, I got the tools from him."
Despite that gentle jab at her former coach, Bueckers also acknowledged she does aspire to be a leader in USA Basketball some day, and part of what she's doing this weekend is staying present and soaking in as much as possible. "I'm trying to continue to grow as a leader every single day. And I think there's no better leader to learn from than Coach Auriemma," she said.
Bueckers reflected on her five years with the Huskies and how her experiences in college impacted her rookie season in the WNBA, and in turn, what is ahead for her. "I think the sky's the limit and [I will] just continue to find the comfort in using my voice and instilling confidence in my teammates and holding myself accountable," she added.
Part of what makes a great leader is the ability to gain "everybody's respect" and to build "relationships with people off the court, so you are able to have that sort of leadership quality," she added. Everyone at USA Basketball will make mistakes, but what matters more is how "you respond to mistakes" and how "you communicate with your teammates."
Paige Bueckers' absence left a leadership gap at UConn
Bueckers was a natural leader for the UConn Huskies, and her departure following graduation left a gap in that role that the program had to fill quickly. Unsurprisingly, Azzi Fudd (who is expected to be a first-round WNBA Draft pick in 2026) and Sarah Strong stepped up in her stead. ESPN reported back in November that Fudd, who opted out of the 2025 WNBA Draft so she could gain more experience in college, approached Strong about the duo's responsibility to the rest of the team.