Sports

Connecticut Coach Benched Paige Bueckers To Chew Her Out Up 30 Points On Senior Day

#UConn Huskies
by
UConn basketball coach Geno Auriemma talks to Paige Bueckers from the bench.

© David Butler II-Imagn Images


The UConn women’s basketball team won its final home game of the regular season in dominant fashion over Big East rival Marquette on Sunday. Superstar senior Paige Bueckers played a large role in that blowout.

Bueckers scored a game-high 19 points on 7-11 shooting. She added four boards and seven assists to lead the Huskies to victory.

Despite the output, head coach Geno Auriemma wasn’t all smiles. At one point late in the game, he was seen chewing his veteran guard out on the sidelines.

The moment came with one minute remaining in the third quarter of play. UConn was up 70-42.

Bueckers turned the ball over after grabbing a defensive rebound. Auriemma immediately subbed her out and voiced his displeasure.

Paige Bueckers had been the most impactful player on the floor. Her team was up by nearly 30 points. It didn’t matter.

Coaching never stops for Geno Auriemma. It’s the reason he’s led the program to 11 national championships since taking over in 1985. He wasn’t going to let the slipup slide even with Bueckers’ stardom.

Bueckers wouldn’t re-enter the game, though that had more to do with the score than performance. Her efforts weren’t needed after a 17-point first half helped the Huskies build a large lead.

Auriemma continued to jab Paige Bueckers in the postgame.

After the win, he jokingly swiped at the guard’s poor acting skills. Earlier in that third quarter, she provided a dramatic overreaction to a missed free throw. Her head coach laughed about it after the fact.

This was Bueckers’ final regular season game in Gampel Pavilion. She’ll soon be off to the WNBA. The likely No. 1 overall pick was recognized before tipoff during Senior Day festivities while being added to the UConn Ring of Honor.

Geno Auriemma will miss having Bueckers on his bench next year. He spoke on her storied career while addressing the media in his press conference.

“For Paige, the season’s flown by so fast… but I think she’s on the right track right now. You always want [the final game] to be special. I think today certainly was for her…

“At some point, it’s going to hit home and I hope I’m around to see the reaction.”

-Geno Auriemma

Paige Bueckers can now look ahead to the Big East Tournament, where the Huskies will play as a three-seed. She’ll then hope to secure a national championship and storybook ending.

Auriemma doesn’t think the gravity of the situation’s hit her quite yet. He hopes to witness it in person when it does.