At this point in his career, Geno Auriemma is no stranger to WNBA talent. On Monday night, Paige Bueckers became the sixth UConn player to go No. 1 in the WNBA draft.
A few moments after the Dallas Wings selected Bueckers, Auriemma joined ESPN to offer his thoughts on the guard’s journey to the WNBA. The 12-time national title-winning coach looked back at some of the injury challenges Bueckers faced along the way and how she continued to push forward.
Related:Dallas Wings select UConn’s Paige Bueckers with No. 1 pick in 2025 WNBA draft
“I think there may have been a time during Paige’s sophomore and junior year, maybe, where I wouldn’t have questioned her if [she] started thinking, ‘Is this going to be my career? Is this going to define my career? How many games I didn’t play in? How many games I didn’t win? How many Final Fours I didn’t make or how many national championships I didn’t win?‘” Auriemma said. “That’s a lot when somebody’s anointed you as the next great player at UConn.
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“For it to end the way it ended, it’s almost like prophetic.”
Bueckers notably bounced back after enduring some injury struggles during her collegiate career. She missed about half her sophomore season with a knee injury, then suffered a season-ending ACL tear ahead of her junior campaign.
Bueckers came back from the setbacks and played in 77 games the last two seasons. She averaged 19.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 2024-25, leading UConn to a national championship win over South Carolina in March.
As Bueckers makes her way to North Texas, Auriemma offered some words of advice to Wings head coach Chris Koclanes.
“Be ready for her to challenge you and you should challenge her,” Auriemma said. “She’s going to be a risk-taker and you’re going to have to live with some of the risks because most times, they actually pay off. At the end of the day, keep in mind that she wants to win as much as you do and she’ll spend more time in the gym than you do.”
Auriemma closed out his piece of advice with a phrase that likely resonates with Dallas basketball fans: “It’s a home run for both of them.”
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