Paige Bueckers leads UConn back to the Final Four

The Final Four will have to wait until next year for JuJu Watkins.

Considering how good she is already as a rookie, Watkins will have three more years to do so with a bright future ahead of her.

But today, experience triumphs over raw talent as Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies overcame Watkins and the gritty USC Trojans to head back to the Final Four after crashing out in the Sweet Sixteen the year before.

The star-studded matchup did not disappoint with each star showing out for their teams. Watkins, the sensational freshman who became the all-time freshman leading scorer in NCAA WCBB history, scored 29 points with 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks.

However, it was not enough to deny Bueckers and the Huskies from advancing to their record 23rd Final Four appearance – the most all-time.

Bueckers recorded a spectacular performance of her own with an all-around game of 28 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks to lead a depleted UConn squad plagued by injuries.

UConn only had 7 active players in the game after losing six different players during the season. Along with Bueckers, Nika Muhl and Aaliyah Edwards were big all game long with all three players playing in all 40 minutes. Edwards backed up Bueckers in scoring with 24 points of her own while Muhl, the Huskies’ all-time leader in assists, dealt a game-high 8 assists.

Bueckers, who also led UConn to Final Four appearances in her freshman and sophomore seasons, hit two big buckets late in the 4th to put the Huskies up for good.

This was a redemption season for the 5-foot-11 Bueckers, who notably won the National Player of the Year award as a freshman and made the title game that season but was sidelined all last year after tearing the ACL in her left knee.

“I want to give glory to God because I was praying last year to get back to this stage,” Bueckers said after the game. “He [God] gave me so many trials and tribulations but I just kept on believing – it was to build my character and test my faith. I’m just so proud, I can’t even take it into words.”

Now, Bueckers and UConn will face a familiar foe in the Final Four at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio next week in Caitlin Clark and Iowa. Clark and Bueckers have some history together as batchmates in the HS class of 2018, Team USA U19 gold medal teammates, and are regarded to be the best prospects of women’s basketball in this generation, as well as being projected as the top overall picks in the WNBA draft in 2024 and 2025, respectively.