Featured Columnist IVOctober 23, 2024
M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photos
UConn star Paige Bueckers reiterated that profitable a title is the bar for the 2024-25 ladies’s basketball season.
Bueckers advised SNY’s Chelsea Sherrod that her mindset is “undoubtedly nationwide championship or bust.”
UConn on SNY @SNYUConn
“It is undoubtedly Nationwide Championship or bust, that is at all times been the case right here at UConn”@ChelseaSherrod meets with Paige Bueckers on her remaining Large East Media Day to speak about her sense of urgency this season and the way she feels in regards to the 2024-25 UConn squad@paigebueckers1 pic.twitter.com/9m1Yjjeoyo
In a profile by The Ringer’s Mirin Fader, the senior guard stated the pursuit of her first title helped gasoline her determination to return to the Huskies for one more season.
It is unfair to some extent to check Bueckers to previous Huskies legends. There’s much more parity within the sport in comparison with when Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Sue Hen, Breanna Stewart and Tina Charles walked the halls of Gampel Pavilion.
However UConn head coach Geno Auriemma is aware of what’s at stake for Bueckers this 12 months.
“If, for no matter cause, we do not win a nationwide championship this 12 months, she’ll really feel like, ‘I am the most effective participant to ever play at Connecticut that did not win a nationwide championship,’” he stated to Fader.
The Huskies have a squad ok to go all the best way, which is illustrated by their No. 2 rating within the Related Press’ preseason Top 25.
After lacking a full season resulting from a torn ACL, Bueckers confirmed in 2023-24 that she stays an elite expertise. She averaged 22.2 factors, 5.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and a couple of.2 steals, incomes unanimous first-team All-American honors for the second time.
To enrich Bueckers, Auriemma signed three of the highest 11 recruits (Sarah Robust, Allie Ziebell and Morgan Cheli) in espnW’s Top 100 ranking. Azzi Fudd, Aubrey Griffin and Caroline Ducharme are all again, although they’re going to miss the start of the season.
Except UConn completely bottoms out, falling in need of a title should not be categorised as a failure for the Huskies, regardless of the expectations they’ve set for themselves yearly due to their previous success.
Nonetheless, it’ll really feel like one thing is lacking from Bueckers’ school profession if she leaves Storrs with out a nationwide championship.
