Paige Buueckers leads ucon to Big East titles: ‘They have all the pieces to win all’

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Let’s admit: Auriemma Geno is not an excuse, but his team has been far from full power in the last four years. So, as the Confettes fell with a raft in Mohegan Sun Arena for the fifth consecutive year in celebration Uconwith The Great East Tournament Championship, 23. Overall, this felt different.

“They play like everyone in America right now,” said Fox Sports Adams analyst compared to Husky’s number 3 ranked while broadcasting. “They have all the pieces to win it all.”

The talent of Huskini was full on Monday night, as they assembled a two-hour clinic that resulted in a 70-50 over a win over a Creighton A team that is the locking of the NCAA tournament and entered the game with a record 26-6.

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Jim Flanery, whose Tim Creighton has already lost twice this season with a combined 30 points that started playing a title in a conference on Monday night, said the margin for his team was “thin to nothing” and that “we would have to be perfect.”

Just four minutes in the game, it was 11-0 Connecticut, thanks to the large part of the defense that has been extraordinary over the last month and is currently the biggest strength of the team. Huski are fourth place in the country, allowing only 51.9 points per game and maintain the best margin for scoring in the country at +29. UCONN also held St. John’s and Villanova on just two points in the quarter in his quarterfinal and semi -final victories.

What was missing in the quarterfinals and semi-final circles appeared in the finals, however, while UCONN shot 8-o-15 from the territory of 3 points in the first half and led 40-22 on the break. The Huski fired just over 26% from the city center in their previous two Big Ten tournament games.

But the biggest story of this UCONN team and throughout the women’s basketball is quite clear: Buueckers Mania.

Paige Buueckers Still persecuting this elusive first state title, but on Monday night, senior Huskies star scored the Podvig for the first time, winning the most prominent player of the Big East tournament, and in that process he became the first player to win three times (2021, 2024, 2025). Bueckers was 65 points at 55% of the shooting, while inserting 14 rebounds, 12 assists, five blocks and four stolen balls in three Big East Tournament of Victory.

“There are two ways that older ones can go,” Auriemma said. “They can be panicaries or stressed about what follows, or they can enjoy the moment, use it and have the last word. Hopefully it will continue to go the way the latter, but that is what she is currently.”

Uconn Huskies raising 2025 Big East Trophy, Paige Bueckers wins the most prominent player

Bueckers had that look on the eye on Monday night, the one who says he has a hunger to evaluate his last chapters in Uconn after being ranked aside and for her other and junior years due to injuries due to injuries. The 6 -foot older guard is currently not disposed of by anyone, instead of dealing with his own hands and commands the game. When you combine Buecker’s hunger with a blooming freshman in Sarah Strong, which is a top -notch nightmare match, it’s a completely scary combination.

Strong has the ability to process a game on the elite level, while being relentless and not allowing nothing to slow down.

“That’s my favorite trait … she just plays,” said Auriemma, who brought out the fact that sometimes with the freshmen it takes time to get to that point where they do not try to think too much.

But this is not the case with Strong, whose mother Allison Feaster was a triple player of the year Ivy League at Harvard and 10-year-old WNBA Pro, whose father Danny played in NC State and then abroad.

After 20 points, a 16th-tone performance in the victory of Uconna over Villanovo at halftime, strongly collected 13 points, 11 rebounds, six stolen balls, four assists and three blocks in a title game. When Uconn becomes smaller with her in 5 places and is kept around her, this is what Flanery called “their line of death.”

“Sarah is the best and hardest player to match with what they have ever had Breanna Stewart“St. John’s main coach Joe Tartamella said Fox Sports on the phone after the UCONNA win on Monday night.” Strong finished them if he was at the top of his game because Buueckers was driving, Kaitlyn Chen is stable and Azzi Fudd X-Factor. ”

Tartamella also stated the fact that this UCONN team did not even celebrate on Monday night. In recent years, Huski has shown a little more joy for winning the Crown of the Conference Tournament, but that felt like they were appearing on the ladder according to what he felt like a very realistic outcome for the first time in a few years: the state title.

Auriemma won 11 national championships in UCONNA, the last return to 2016. But the way his team game currently gives him a good shot like everyone.

Bueckers’ passion and pursuit are a real and powerful life in her name in every way. The wagon is a wagon, and it proved to be Monday night.

John Fanta is national basketball television and a Fox Sports writer. It covers the sport in various capacities, from the invitation of the games to the FS1 to serving as the leading host on the Big East Digital Network to provide comments on the field of 68 Media Network. Follow him on @John_fant.

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