Paige Bueckers - The Innocent
Psssst — before we even get started…
The Women’s NCAA tournament kicks off today at noon with 5-seed Iowa (and one of the most exciting players in the country, Caitlin Clark) facing off against 12-seed Central Michigan.
If you’re trying to get a look at Paige Bueckers, 1-seed UConn plays tonight at 8:00pm against High Point.
We’re all still really pissed at the NCAA for the massive disparities between the men’s and women’s tournaments.
AND NOW, let’s get to it…
BASKETBALL - POINT GUARD - UCONN HUSKIES
ARCHETYPE: THE CHILD
Day 15/135
Athletic Accomplishments
Remember her name. You’re going to be hearing a lot of it for the next four years, and for her entire and almost guaranteed WNBA career. Paige Bueckers came out of high school with a lot of hype, but in her first year at UConn, she has backed it up every step of the way.
Growing up in Minnesota, Bueckers was a multi-sport athlete who played catcher in her town’s Little League, while also playing football, soccer, and basketball. She decided to focus on basketball, where the point guard rose to national prominence on the AAU scene, and playing high school varsity as an eighth grader.
Bueckers committed to UConn, and as the No. 1 ranked player in the class of 2020, many wondered if she could lead the legendary program back to national dominance. Verdict: YES SHE CAN.
Bueckers was named Big East Freshman of the Year AND Big East Player of the Year. She is also the first player in Huskies history to ever record three straight 30+ point games, which included a brilliant last 4 minutes against No. 1 ranked South Carolina team, where she scored the team’s final 13 points to pull off the overtime win and upset.
Character Archetype: The Child
Paige Bueckers is just getting started. She has already demonstrated that she can play the lead role, score at-will, pass dimes, and win when the pressure is on. She’s building the foundation upon which legends are made.
She is young and full of promise. She is starry-eyed and innocent, and hasn’t had to deal with the crushing feeling of failure, loss, and falling short. We haven’t seen what sad twists of fate the world will deal this rising star.
But what will happen this March? Will Bueckers lead the Huskies back to an NCAA title? Will she finally feel what it is to lose, to hurt, to be disappointed? It’s too early to tell. But buckle up, buddy, because Bueckers is ‘bout to bring it.