Sports
Talia Padilla - LW English
UConn women’s basketball returned to the top of the sport in emphatic fashion on Sunday afternoon, capturing its 12th national title with a statement win over defending champion South Carolina.
The 82-59 blowout not only ended a nine-year championship drought for the Huskies but also gave senior guard Paige Bueckers the one accolade that had eluded her throughout her standout collegiate career.
Paige Bueckers having an intimate moment with coach Geno Auriemma
Paige Bueckers’s emotional farewell with Geno Auriemma
In her final appearance in a UConn uniform, Bueckers scored 17 points and grabbed six rebounds, leading the Huskies to a commanding win inside Amalie Arena in Tampa.
With just over a minute remaining and UConn up by nearly 30, head coach Geno Auriemma subbed out his starters.
As Bueckers walked to the sideline, she went straight into Auriemma’s arms for an emotional hug, one that carried the weight of five years of highs, setbacks, and mutual belief.
“I love you. That’s all I could say. I love you,” Auriemma said when asked about the moment on the ABC broadcast.
Bueckers, known for her humor as much as her poise, couldn’t resist joking about the exchange.
“I told him I hated him,” she said with a smile. But her tone quickly shifted to sincerity as she reflected on the bond they had built.
“I love that man like more than words can describe… He always has our back. That’s the thing. Sometimes it feels like he’s on you and he has nothing but bad things to say. But he always has belief.”
The moment captured more than just the end of a title run, it was the culmination of a promise made years earlier when Auriemma first recruited Bueckers.
“Anytime you can have a hand helping someone who, when they were 17 years old, you talked to about what could happen if you come to UConn… that’s the most gratifying thing for me,” Auriemma added.
As Bueckers prepares for the WNBA Draft, where she’s projected to go No. 1, she leaves UConn with a legacy cemented not only by numbers, but by leadership and resilience.
“Unreal,” she said.
“Just so much gratitude for everything this program has meant to me… it takes a village.”
This news was originally published on this post .
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