Everything Paige Bueckers said about Azzi Fudd in the postgame press conference after UConn Huskies blow out St John's

Azzi Fudd scored 13 points on 54.4% shooting and Paige Bueckers scored 12 on 57.1% to lead UConn to a 71-45 win over St. John's Red Storm on Wednesday. Bueckers was on minute restriction for the game as she returned after missing two games due to a lower-body sprain suffered on Jan. 5.

With that, Bueckers praised the additional set of hands that Fudd adds as a dependable ball-handler, saying that the entire team benefits from her ability to orchestrate the offense.

"I think we have a lot of people who can handle the ball, who can make plays on our team, I think we share that responsibility really well knowing that no one person is going to dominate the ball," Paige Bueckers said (Timestamp 0:50)

"And we all want to share, we all want to touch it, we all want to move to the side of the court and continue to get the ball moving that way. So, it's definitely easier for the team when you have plenty of people who can handle the rock like that."

Paige Bueckers also commented on witnessing Azzi Fudd coming back to her sharpshooting ways.

It is the first healthy stretch of the senior's season as she missed more than 90% of the 2023-24 season due to an anterior cruciate ligament tear and medial meniscal tear. Fudd also missed three games last month due to a knee sprain.

"It's been great. I think it'll do strides for our team in terms of her being aggressive and her looking to score and the defense having to worry about her and her aggressive mentality. And I think we'll be a much better team if she continues to play this way." (1:50)

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Geno Auriemma comments on Paige Bueckers low-scoring game

Paige Bueckers started slow against the Red Storm, scoring six points off 1 of 4 shooting in the first half. Not only was the star guard struggling to connect but also finding difficulties in finding her shot. She took a season-low seven attempts in the contest.

Geno Auriemma, who has previously spoken about wanting Bueckers to be selfish with the ball and has been critical of her aggressiveness, cut her some slack due to recently missed games.

"When you miss a little bit of time, even if it's just a week, it takes a little bit of time to get back in the game shape, get your win back," he said. "So I thought in the second half it was much, much better."

Paige Bueckers and UConn (16-2, 7-0 Big East) will now head back home to host Seton Hall in its second game at Gampel Pavilion in 2025.