2 at the time, grabbed a 73-54 victory against No. Her 24 points were the most by a UConn player in their tournament debut. Weve had players get injured in the past and my philosophy here is, Im not interested in how fast we can get someone back; Im interested in whats best for them long term, he said. She also ranks third in the Big East with 2.5 steals per game. She would later collapse in front of the Huskies bench and she had to be helped off the court. UConn (6-2), which is tied with Tennessee at No. When Bueckers went down, the Huskies were up by 18 and the game was effectively over. UConn (6-2), which is tied with Tennessee at No. 10:11 am ET, 2023 NCAA Women's Tournament: Conference Tourney dates, Clark among leaders in WCBB player of the year race, Women's bracketology: Utah climbs to the top line, Women's Top 25: South Carolina's streak continues, Clark hits game-winner to lift Iowa over Indiana, NCAA makes first NIL ruling in Cavinder case at Miami. View Paige Decker's career, season and game-by-game girls basketball stats while attending Covenant Christian High School. [2] Decker became the first woman and rookie to win in the series at the Golden Sands Speedway event. [4] Then she moved up to racing in Super Late Models. Bracketology: Huskies stock rising after dispatching Providence, UConn mens hockey survives Alaska Anchorage in overtime, 4-3, Takeaways: Huskies offense shines in beatdown of No. competed in sixmeets with nine top 10 finishes. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. on Saturday in Newark. She started 29 games and averaged 20 points and 4.9 rebounds, shooting 52.4% from the field and 46.4% from 3-point range. [58], Entering her freshman season at UConn, sports publications described Bueckers as the program's most hyped recruit since Breanna Stewart in 2012. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. Name one player that has taken a team this young to where we are today, UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. [24][25], In January 2018, as a sophomore, Bueckers was sidelined with an ankle injury that had been hurting her for the first two months of the season. Paige Bueckers meeting with doctors to determine next steps in recovery, UConn WBB Weekly: Geno is tired of excuses. list of mortuary science schools in kenya. She only just returned to practice on Friday and is still working her way back into the mix. 1-seeded Wolfpack. We dont have anybody for the first time other than Paige in a long time thats not available, Auriemma said. [155][156][157] On April 4, 2022, her Instagram account reached one million followers,[158] making her reportedly the first women's college basketball player to achieve the mark. [27] Bueckers was also recognized as Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year for athletic excellence, academic achievement and exemplary character. Getting to the Final Four my freshman year and the national championship last year, the only thing left to do is win it. Bueckers helped lead the Huskies to their 13th consecutive Final Four with 28 points in the regional final win over Baylor on Monday night, just the latest star turn for the phenomenal 19-year-old Minnesota native. The first was with footwear and apparel marketplace StockX, specifically for the company's basketball and women's sports lines. Bueckers, who is from Edina, Minnesota, is averaging 20.1 points, 5.9 assists and 4.8 rebounds this season. As for Bueckers, she has made it clear that she is already working on what she believes will be "one hell of a comeback.". [65][91][93][94], Bueckers was named to the university's dean's list her freshman year, which required a GPA of at least 3.72, and was involved in social justice causes. tournaments after that. [147] Bueckers has another younger brother, Ryan, and a younger sister, Lauren. [3], Her sister Claire Decker also races for her family's Decker Racing team. [137] She has a slim build, which encourages opposing teams to force her to play through contact,[136] and displays quickness and agility. So I didnt want to be carried out on a stretcher, Auriemma quipped. Eventually, the Huskies were able to adjust as senior guard Christyn Williams stepped up as the leading scorer. [7] She qualified 33rd fastest, about 1/10 second behind the 32nd final spot. The Slam magazine video", "AAU final wrap-up: Recounting the summer that was", "Best of the Prelims: North Tartan EYBL slips past Metro Stars", "AAU Awards: 2019 Player of the Year Paige Bueckers", "Father of UConn women's basketball star Paige Bueckers supports daughter through 'peaks and valleys', "UConn recruit Paige Bueckers dazzling, and indulging, Minnesota fans amid unprecedented attention", "Minnesota high school sports abruptly canceled, 'devastating' those involved", "Hopkins basketball star Paige Bueckers honored as McDonald's All-American", "Jordan Brand Classic lands in Chicago; no stub for Diamond Johnson of Neumann-Goretti (PA) named to girls' roster", "High school basketball state tournaments, postseason showcases canceled amid coronavirus concerns", "Extending the Season: Paige Bueckers one win shy of storybook ending", "One for all time: Hopkins' Paige Bueckers is first-ever three-time Metro Player of the Year winner", "UConn commit Paige Bueckers wins Gatorade Player of the Year award", "UConn-bound Paige Bueckers named Naismith Girls High School Player of the Year", "UConn signee Paige Bueckers named Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year", "Paige Bueckers adds Miss Minnesota Basketball to senior season honors", "Incomparable Paige Bueckers 'enjoyed every second' of final run with Hopkins", "Minnesota prep hoops legend Paige Bueckers set to face Gophers in Bahamas", "Hopkins' Paige Bueckers dazzling, inspiring a generation of girls", "Paige Bueckers 2020 High School Girls' Basketball Profile", "UConn lands No. Bueckers only had four points in the first half, but she ended the night with a game-high 27 points -- with 15 of those coming after regulation. She makes the game slow down for her. Auriemma hinted that the sophomore could still be weeks away. [27] Bueckers helped Hopkins to a 284 record but suffered her third straight loss at the Class4A state title game, despite leading all scorers with 37 points. "Provided we don't have to navigate a season like we did this year knock on wood if we stay healthy, I expect to be back here next year.". Bueckers is a sophomore with the Huskies and is widely regarded as one of the best college basketball players in the country. UConn will likely not cruise through next season, but Auriemma's record speaks for itself, so the Huskies shouldn't be counted out any time soon. Going into their final game of the season, the Huskies are looking for their fifth consecutive win. She's pointing and gesturing, she's screaming and chest-bumping a teammate, she's bouncing off her seat and reacting. [103] She matched the program record for points in a season opener set by Kerry Bascom in 1989. [122] On September 1, Bueckers announced she would return to UConn for the 202324 season instead of declaring for the 2023 WNBA draft, for which she is age-eligible. This leaves the Huskies with plenty of uncertainty and gaps to fill. Supreme Court offers mixed response in NCAA compensation c Knicks-Celtics game shows what NBA is missing, NHL, players union failing in this important area, MLB's rule changes will only bring needless new degree of confusion, The Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast, The Show with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman, Amazin' But True: A NY Mets Baseball Podcast, Gangs All Here: A NY Jets Football Podcast, Ariana Madix, Tom Sandoval have awkward moment amid cheating scandal, Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave. In her first game back, Bueckers came off the bench and registered eight points on 4-for-5 shooting in 12 minutes. At Hopkins High School in Minnetonka, Minnesota, Bueckers was ranked as the number one recruit in her class by ESPN and received national high school player of the year honors. 74 Chevrolet for owner/driver Mike Harmon, but was one of four teams that failed to qualify. [126] Bueckers led the United States to a gold medal after recording eight points and ten assists versus France in the final. Paige Decker. In her first season at UConn, Bueckers was a unanimous first-team All-American and became the first freshman to earn a major national women's college player of the year award, winning all four for which she was eligible. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill). They are joined on the team by their younger cousin NASCAR Drive for Diversity driver Natalie Decker. SAN ANTONIO Paige Bueckers is in a class all by herself. [136], Bueckers stands 5feet 11inches (1.80m) and plays the point guard position. Huskies coach Geno Auriemma said he hoped it was nothing more than a "hyperextension," according to the Hartford Courant. Player of the Year; Finalist for national award", "Paige Bueckers of Hopkins is the Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year", "Paige Bueckers: 'I don't want to just be a high school legend.' Chasing Perfection: Is it time to be worried about UConn? She toured in the Mid-American Stock Car Series in 2010 and 2011. [73] On February 27, Bueckers posted 20 points, a program-record 14 assists and seven rebounds in a 9768 victory over Butler. UConn earned its 14th consecutive Final Four trip and eventually made it to the 2022 women's national championship game against South Carolina. Now, the coach will have to find a way to cope without his go-to player. During the postgame press conference, Williams explained their win in the simplest way she could. She underwent surgery on Dec. 13 and has missed the Huskies last 12 games. [22] As a freshman, Bueckers averaged 20.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.5 steals and 4.1 assists per game, earning All-Metro first team honors from the Star Tribune. UConn star Paige Bueckers suffered a torn ACL and is expected to be out for the entire 2022-23 season. [125] Bueckers played at the 2018 FIBA Under-17 Women's World Cup in Minsk, Belarus. Italics Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. Bueckers went down with 38.5 seconds left in UConns 73-54 win over Notre Dame on Sunday. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Coming into the game, she was averaging 21 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6.6 assists in five games. Paige Madison Bueckers[1] (/bkrz/ BEH-krz; born October 20, 2001) is an American college basketball player for the UConn Huskies of the Big East Conference. For those of you out of the loop,. [77] Bueckers scored a game-high 28 points in a 6967 win over second-seeded Baylor in the Elite Eight to help UConn reach its 13th straight Final Four. [116][117] In a 6449 loss to top-seeded South Carolina at the national championship game,[118] Bueckers was the only UConn player to score in double digits as she posted 14 points and six rebounds, and was named to the Final Four All-Tournament Team. [53] Bueckers finished as Hopkins' all-time leader in points (2,877), assists (795) and steals (574). [13] By that time, she was also playing year-round with North Tartan, an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) program competing in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League, a national circuit. Shorthanded at times, the Our Lady of Lourdes High School girls basketball team took a big lead and held on Friday to open its season with a 62-56 triumph over John F. Kennedy Catholic in the Richa [64][65] Bueckers was unanimously selected as the Big East Preseason Freshman of the Year by the league's coaches. After contacting coaches and athletic directors from every high school in Utah, the Deseret News has compiled the following list of the estimated 777 seniors from the 2019 graduating class who received an athletic and/or academic scholarship to play college sports. [123] While sidelined, she remained closely involved with the team, providing leadership and support for players. ET, FOX. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. But yeah, I dont like our team without her on the court. [129] On December 10, 2019, she was honored as USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year. On Saturday, he explained what happenedsort of. The Huskies were expected to be very competitive once again, but now the question is who will step up for Bueckers in wake of her devastating injury. [14][15] Bueckers grew four inches in the year before her eighth-grade season. The 5-foot-11 guard will be entering her sophomore season with a bigger role than she probably expected. [3] The Decker family raced snowmobiles against the Danica Patrick family during the 1970s. Could be (weeks). She led UConn to the Final Four of the 2021 NCAA tournament and set program records for assists by a freshman and single-game assists. Exactly how much Juhsz will play is still to be determined, though. Bueckers registered 14 points and six rebounds against the Gamecocks, but she was the only UConn player to finish in double figures. She has raced in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and Xfinity Series and was a 2014 NASCAR Drive for Diversity participant. The Huskies clearly needed to regroup after that, as they took a 57-44 loss to Georgia Tech in their first game without Bueckers. "Its time we stopped blaming the injuries, stop blaming fatigue, stop blaming tired," Auriemma said after UConn beat Xavier by nine.