Jalen Suggs: Paige Bueckers' pep talk fueled him in Gonzaga's win over USC

The UConn women's basketball team advanced to the Final Four on Monday with a 69-67 win over Baylor, led by an incredible performance from Paige Bueckers. 

The freshman guard led all players with 28 points and three rebounds in one of her best games of the tournament. Her performance was inspiring to many, but one particular men's basketball player, Gonzaga's Jalen Suggs, used her performance and advice to also lead his Bulldogs into the Final Four with an 85-66 win over USC on Tuesday. 

"Last night, [Bueckers] said some things that really helped me," Suggs said, according to ESPN's Myron Medcalf. "I've been kind of struggling, trying to get my footing in these tournament games. Of course, seeing her go out there and play great like she did and then talking afterward ... she kind of said some words, it kind of got me uplifted, got me going. Definitely helped tonight."

Bueckers and Suggs have been good friends since their grade-school days in Minnesota. Her advice helped him notch 18 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in the Final Four-clinching win.

UConn is now preparing to play No. 3 seed Arizona, while Gonzaga will look to knock off 11th-seeded UCLA to keep its unbeaten streak alive. 

Whatever happens over the weekend, both players are primed to be stars at the next level. Suggs, who is a projected NBA lottery pick, will almost certainly leave Gonzaga after just one season. Bueckers will have to wait until she's 22 to join the WNBA, but she'll likely be the top pick when she does.