UConn’s Paige Bueckers has undoubtedly established herself as one of the top players in college basketball. However, even a talent like hers is not immune to criticism from head coach Geno Auriemma. As UConn entered the second half, they found themselves trailing 36-33 against the Oklahoma Sooners, which was partly due to Bueckers being held scoreless in the second quarter after an impressive 11-point first quarter.
By the fourth quarter, UConn had regained the lead thanks to Bueckers scoring 10 points in the third quarter. Still, Auriemma expressed frustration over what he perceived as a lack of urgency from her. In a pre-fourth quarter conversation with ESPN’s Holly Rowe, Auriemma elaborated on his views, indicating that he did not see the consistent urgency he desired from Bueckers and suggested Rowe talk to her about it.
“You have spent a career trying to get Paige Bueckers to know when to take over games,” Rowe asked Auriemma. “What did you assess of that third quarter of how she started to do that?”
“It’s better,” Auriemma responded. “But there are times where she has the ball and the defense knows she’s not going to shoot it. I’m thinking, ‘Shoot it, you’re open.’ So hopefully in the fourth quarter she will just… I don’t know. Maybe you should talk to her.”
lmaoooo, Geno thinks maybe Holly Rowe should talk to Paige Bueckers to get her to take over the game pic.twitter.com/luzX62Qu3d
— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) March 29, 2025
Fair or not, it’s clear that Bueckers is held to a different standard by Auriemma, as any other player entering the fourth quarter with 21 points would likely face different scrutiny. Fortunately for Auriemma, Bueckers took his constructive criticism seriously and indeed “took over” for the remaining minutes of the game.
Bueckers showcased her talent in the fourth quarter, scoring 19 of the team’s 23 points to propel the Huskies to an 82-59 victory, finishing the game with 40 points. Afterward, she reflected on the criticism from Auriemma, noting that the legendary coach constantly challenges her and her teammates in ways they didn’t know they needed to be challenged. “He got on me pretty hard this game,” Bueckers admitted. “But just the confidence he has to keep believing and instilling that confidence in us is invaluable. We have all worked extremely hard. He prepares us for these moments, and it’s great to have that relationship with him.”
I asked #UConn’s Paige Bueckers about her bond with Geno Auriemma.
While he got on her a lot on Saturday, he continues to challenge Bueckers and always trusts her.
“He challenges us in ways we didn’t know we could be challenged.” pic.twitter.com/wXih4pSfzp
— Tyler Harden (@ttjharden8) March 30, 2025
