Apr 6, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; Connecticut Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) looks on during the second half of the national championship of the women's 2025 NCAA tournament against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

UConn Legend Paige Bueckers Snubbed From AP’s All-Time List

Originally posted on UConn Huskies on SI
By Nishant Gupta | Last updated Oct 17, 2025 5:00 PM ET

Paige Bueckers led the UConn Huskies to three 18-0 seasons in the Big East and a National Championship in her final year with the program. Yet for Bueckers, a former AP Player of the Year and the centerpiece of UConn’s offense, there was no place on the All-Time First Team.

AP released the list of the greatest athletes based on their collegiate careers on Thursday in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the women's basketball poll. Bueckers was not named, though, as Diana Taurasi (UConn), Breanna Stewart (UConn), Cheryl Miller (USC), Candace Parker (Tennessee), and Caitlin Clark (Iowa) made up the first team.

She was not on the All-Time Second Team either, which featured Sue Bird (UConn), Dawn Staley (Virginia), Chamique Holdsclaw (Tennessee), Maya Moore (UConn), and Lusia Harris (Delta State). The former Huskies point guard also did not make it to the reserves with Ann Meyers Drysdale (UCLA), Lynette Woodard (Kansas), Sheryl Swoopes (Texas Tech), Lisa Leslie (USC), Brittney Griner (Baylor) and A'ja Wilson (South Carolina).

Bueckers made her UConn debut on December 12, 2020. As a freshman, she averaged 20.0 points, 5.8 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game, shooting 52.4% from the field and 46.4% from beyond the arc. She earned unanimous National Freshman of the Year honors and became the first freshman ever to win the Nancy Lieberman Award for best point guard. Bueckers guided the Huskies to the Final Four and posted 28 points and nine assists in the Elite Eight.

Her sophomore season in 2021–22 was cut short by injury. Yet, she still averaged 14.6 points, 3.9 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game in 17 games. Bueckers claimed First-Team All-American honors, leading UConn back to the National Championship Game, where the Huskies lost to South Carolina.

Buecker tore her ACL ahead of the 2022-23 season and was sidelined for the entire season. A month later, she announced her decision to play college basketball for another year despite being eligible for the 2023 WNBA Draft.

In 2023–24, Bueckers delivered a career-high 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 41.6% from beyond the arc. She was named Big East Player of the Year and earned her second First-team All-Big East honor.

The 23-year-old was a consensus top-three pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, but chose to remain with the Huskies and capped off her college career in style. She recorded 19.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 4.6 APG en route to her first and UConn’s 12th National Championship. She bid farewell to UConn as their third-highest scorer (2,439 points) and the player with the highest-scoring average (19.9 PPG). She won the Honda Sports Award for incredible performance in the 2024-25 season.

Bueckers entered the 2025 WNBA Draft and was the first player to hear her name called. She was picked by the Dallas Wings as the No. 1 overall pick.

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This article first appeared on UConn Huskies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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