The NCAA Tournament is set to begin and Paige Bueckers is ready to lead UConn women's basketball. Bueckers has enjoyed a historic career with the program, and she would love to end her time at the university with a national championship. Although there are doubters, Bueckers and UConn are in the perfect position to get the job done this year.
UConn's position
UConn is set to enter the NCAA Tournament as a No. 2 seed. They will play Arkansas State in the first-round. Upsets occur all of the time in March Madness, but it would be incredibly shocking to see UConn lose to No. 15 Arkansas State.
If they advance, UConn would have to play either No. 3 Oklahoma or No. 7 Oklahoma State. They are both talented teams, but UConn feels like a clear favorite against either opponent.
Assuming UConn advances once again, there is a realistic chance that they will have to play against JuJu Watkins and No. 1 USC. The Trojans present a daunting challenge, but Bueckers' experience will prove to be crucial in this potential matchup. She will know exactly what to expect and should be able to lead her team to a win against USC.
Who could UConn play in the semifinals if they reach the Final Four? Well, No. 1 UCLA should have a legitimate opportunity to make a deep run. It would not be surprising to see UCLA and UConn meet in the semifinals. In similar fashion to a potential USC matchup, however, Bueckers and Azzi Fudd are more than capable of taking care of business in clutch moments.
Paige Bueckers' added motivation
Although Bueckers has yet to officially declare for the WNBA Draft, she has made it clear that this will likely be her final season at UConn. Last year, Bueckers knew that returning was a realistic possibility. Sure, she can still technically return, but it probably won't happen. Bueckers understands that this specific NCAA Tournament will likely be her final opportunity to win a championship with UConn women's basketball.
Opponents will not want to see a motivated Paige Bueckers. She is going to want to prove all of her doubters wrong in the NCAA Tournament. Fans can expect Bueckers to be on top of her game over the next few weeks.
Predicting the outcome of the NCAA tournament, for both women's and men's, is almost impossible. With that being said, there is reason to believe that Paige Bueckers and UConn will emerge victorious.