"Chain still got snatched by a 19 year old": Fans mock Paige Bueckers for staring down JuJu Watkins during USC vs UConn

The matchup between Paige Bueckers vs. JuJu Watkins was one of the most anticipated of the regular season, and the game lived up to the hype. The UConn Huskies and the USC Trojans battled it out on Saturday at the XL Center in Hartford.

Although Bueckers and her team fought hard, they fell short and lost 72-70. The Trojans took the lead from the first whistle, but the intensity ramped up in the fourth quarter when Bueckers decided to close the gap. In her effort to take the lead, the senior guard reduced the 18-point gap to just one.

As Bueckers kept raining buckets, one moment in particular caught the attention of fans on X. After making a shot, Bueckers turned to JuJu Watkins, who was guarding her, and stared down at the sophomore.

With the game ultimately ending in a loss, fans in the comments made fun of Paige Bueckers for getting ahead of herself.

"Chain still got snatched by a 19 year old.😭," one fan said.

"Yeah this was just nasty," another fan said.

"That was trying too hard to be Angel Reese," one fan said.

Here are some more reactions from fans.

"Just to lose 😭…cringe," one fan said.

"Completely outplayed by Hannah Hidalgo and lost, outplayed by JuJu Watkins and lost. At least Paige is consistent. Gotta admire her for that," a fan said.

"A 19 yr old just outscored and outplayed a 23 year old thats nasty," another fan said.

---

Paige Bueckers and JuJu Watkins showdown draws big crowd

Paige Bueckers and JuJu Watkins' clash drew the attention of many fans online and offline as the game was sold out. Both players gave their best, as Bueckers finished with 22 points and three rebounds, while Watkins had 25 points with six rebounds and five assists.

Commenting on the intensity of the game while talking to the media, Bueckers said:

“Yeah definitely playing against great players, you embrace the matchup and have fun in the moment. Both teams were trying to win. Matchups like these are why we play basketball.”

“It’s very important for the game to continue to grow and have these types of matchups,” she added. “For people to not shy away from it and to embrace it and schedule more opponents like these.”

UConn coach Geno Auriemma also spoke about the matchup and recalled the time when in the late 1980s, barely 100 people were present as spectators.

"To drive up here and know there would be 16,000 people here plus the game on national television doesn’t seem like we’re talking about the same universe but this is what happened and where we are today. I’m proud to be a part of it,” Auriemma said (per AP News).

The UConn Huskies will take a break for the holidays before returning to play on Dec. 29 when they host Providence.