Paige Bueckers is currently in her fifth season with UConn women's basketball. To some, it may feel longer, though. Bueckers seems to agree with that feeling, as she recently admitted it feels more like six or seven years, via UConn on SNY.
"I've been here for five years but it's felt more like, six, seven," Bueckers told reporters following UConn's 72-53 win against Creighton on Thursday.
The victory clinched the Big East regular season title for the program, something Bueckers later addressed.
"We're trying to get three championships and the first one is the Big East," the UConn women's basketball guard continued. "Trying to prove throughout the whole entire season that we're the best team in the league regardless of who we're playing... To be able to celebrate this and do it throughout the regular season, we always try to be proud of that."
UConn, ranked No. 5 overall, is now 27-3 so far in the 2024-25 regular season. They have only one game remaining, as UConn will host Marquette on Sunday. It goes without saying, but the Huskies want to finish the regular season on a high note.
Bueckers has led the way throughout the 2024-25 campaign. The expected No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming 2025 WNBA Draft has established herself as a star at the college basketball level. She is averaging 18.6 points, 4.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per contest. Bueckers is also shooting 53.1 percent from the field and 40.7 percent from beyond the arc.
With Bueckers leading the way, the UConn women's basketball team should have an opportunity to seriously pursue a national championship. Earning the Big East title was a promising start, but the work is only beginning for UConn as the calendar flips to March on Saturday.
At No. 5 overall, however, UConn is unquestionably going to deal with difficult competition throughout the NCAA Tournament. Making a competitive championship run will prove to be an immense challenge. Teams ranked lower than UConn could give them problems as well, as upsets are quite common in the tournament.
Paige Bueckers and UConn women's basketball will need to play at an especially high level moving forward. One bad game could end their entire season once the tournament begins. Bueckers wants to finish her college basketball career with a championship, so her motivation is surely through the roof at the moment.