The spotlight that Sabrina Ionescu passed to Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark now shines bright on UConn star Paige Bueckers. 

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Bueckers leads a UConn women's basketball team in 2024-25 looking to return to the program's past glory. Last year marked eight since the Huskies last claimed a national championship, making this the program's longest drought since claiming its first under legendary coach Geno Auriemma in 1995. 

UConn bowed out in the national semifinals a year ago to the superstar Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes in a 71-69, instant classic. Bueckers, who scored 17 points and did one of the more admirable defensive jobs on Clark that any opponent managed all season, said in the postgame press conference: "The standard at UConn is national championships, so it's always disappointing. But I know we'll reflect after this and just get better from here."

Along with carrying the mantle from Clark and Reese as the national face of women's college hoops, Bueckers also follows in the huge footsteps of the many past UConn greats. She has an opportunity in 2024-25 to etch her name in Huskies history alongside Rebecca Lobo, Swin Cash, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore and plenty others that made this program the preeminent entity in the game. 

Paige Bueckers UConn Career At A Glance 

Paige Bueckers arrived in Storrs in 2020 after a remarkable prep career at Hopkins High School in Minnesota. There, she scored nearly 2,900 points and earned national Player of the Year honors — a feat it didn't take her long to recreate at the college level. 

Bueckers storm on the scene at UConn in 2020-21 averaging 20 points, 5.8 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game en route to sweeping the national Player of the Year awards: Associated Press, Wooden Award, Naismith and USWBA. 

She heads into 2024-25 a clear front-runner to win the national honors again and bookend her college career after being slowed with a knee injury sustained in 2022. 

Paige Bueckers Career Statistics 

2020-21: 20 ppg, 52.4 FG%, 46.4 3PFG%, 86.9 FT%, 5.8 apg, 4.9 rpg, 2.3 spg 

2021-22 (17 games): 14.6 ppg, 54.4 FG%, 35.3 3PFG%, 71.4 FT%, 3.9 apg, 4 rpg, 1.5 stpg

2023-24: 21.9 ppg, 53.0 FG%, 41.6 3PFG%, 83.4 FT%,  3.8 apg, 5.2 rpg, 2.2 spg, 1.4 bpg 

2024-25 UConn Huskies Names To Know 

UConn will likely open the 2024-25 ranked No. 1 with the bevy of returning talent back surrounding Bueckers. The Huskies return 3-of-5 starters, with KK Arnold and Ashlynn Shade rejoining Bueckers in the backcourt. 

Arnold and Shade stepped into a primary roles as freshmen and delivered. Shade's 11 points per game were third-most among all Huskies, and her 64 made 3-pointers trailed only Bueckers' 84. Shade added 3.5 rebounds per game and an eyelash less than a steal per game.

Arnold added 8.9 points per game, 3.1 rebounds per game, and established herself as one of UConn's premier distributors with 3.2 assists per game. 

It's an embarrassment of riches all the way around the UConn perimeter, with Azzi Fudd also back in the mix. Injuries derailed the talented Fudd each of the last two seasons, cutting her 2022-23 short midway through and spoiling her return a year ago just two games in. 

Fudd spoke at an ESPNW Summit in May, saying that she was "done talking about 'next year.'" The former No. 1 recruit in the nation is primed to show the full potential she brings to UConn in 2024-25. 

The Huskies feature a new-look frontcourt in the coming campaign. Ice Brady, the San Diego product, played in all 39 games last season in a primarily reserve role. She'll have the opportunity to establish herself as a linchpin for UConn's interior this year. 

Freshman Sarah Strong follows in Bueckers' path as a national High School Player of the Year, earning the Naismith Award at Grace Christian School in North Carolina. 

UConn Basketball Matchups To Watch In 2024-25

A showdown with breakout 2023-24 team Oregon State in the opening round of the Baha Mar Pink Flamingo Women's Championship highlights the first month of UConn's always-tough schedule. 

The Huskies face a variety of Final Four hopefuls, as well as the challenge the BIG EAST Conference presents. 

• Nov. 25, vs. Oregon State (Baha Mar Women's Championship) 
• Nov. 27, Baha Mar Women's Championship Final 
• Dec. 7, vs. Louisville (in Brooklyn) 
• Dec. 12, at Notre Dame 
• Dec. 15, vs. Georgetown (BIG EAST Opener) 
• Dec. 21, vs. USC (in Hartford) 
• Jan. 1, at Marquette 
• Jan. 15, at St. John's 
• Jan. 25, at Creighton 
• Feb. 6, at Tennessee
• Feb. 12, vs. St. John's 
• Feb. 27, vs. Creighton 
• March 7-10, BIG EAST Tournament (in Uncasville, Connecticut)

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