"Blue hates the orange and orange hates the blue": Paige Bueckers makes her feelings known on UConn-Tennessee rivalry

UConn star Paige Bueckers shared her thoughts on the longstanding rivalry between No. 5 UConn and No. 19 Tennessee ahead of their matchup on Thursday. She spoke with Storrs Central during practice on Tuesday.

Bueckers, the reigning Big East Player of the Year, was asked if the rivalry still means something to the young generation of players.

"I think more of my time and probably the younger guys too, it's UConn-Notre Dame," Bueckers said. "But when you walk in here, you kind of know that the blue hates the orange and the orange hates the blue.

"So it's definitely something, and you talk to all the alums, and they're like, you need to beat Tennessee for us, so it's a very important game. But we're just continuing to try and build and become a better team, and I think this is a good test for us."

Paige Bueckers has faced the Vols only once in her career, during her freshman season in 2021. She recorded nine points, eight rebounds, and seven assists in that matchup, which UConn won 67-61.

The Huskies-Lady Vols series dates back to January 1995 with UConn holding a 17-9 all-time advantage. The two teams share 40 Final Four appearances and 19 national titles between them.

They continued their rivalry in 2020 with the first meeting in nearly 13 years. UConn has won all four meetings since the series resumed.

Paige Bueckers speaks on her mindset going into the game with Tennessee legend Candace Parker

Paige Bueckers joined three-time WNBA champion Candace Parker on the Unrivaled postgame show on Monday. Bueckers, who is expected to play in the league next season, was asked about how she approaches the upcoming historic matchup between UConn and Tennessee.

"You just go into it with a lot of pride, knowing how much it means to both programs and both teams," Bueckers said. "It's not a regular game, but at the end of the day there's going to be a winner and a loser."

"So it's awesome to play in, and walking into that (Thompson-Boling) arena, everybody hates you, everybody hates your guts," Bueckers continued. "You definitely know the history when you come here."

Paige Bueckers and the Huskies (21-2, 12-0 Big East) enter the clash on an 11-game win streak, coming off a 101-59 blowout victory over Butler on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Lady Vols (16-5, 4-5 SEC) who started the season undefeated in 13 games, suffered their fifth loss to No. 2 South Carolina last week.