"Forever indebted": Paige Bueckers leaves UConn teammates in tears with emotional speech at 2025 NCAA championship rally

NCAA Womens Basketball: Final Four National Championship - Source: Imagn
NCAA Womens Basketball: Final Four National Championship - Source: Imagn

The final page of Paige Bueckers' UConn journey has been written. Bueckers and her Huskies teammates became national champions on Sunday with an 82-59 defeat of the reigning national champion South Carolina Gamecocks.

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UConn was welcomed back to Connecticut with a rally on Monday. Bueckers addressed fans who gathered to show their support.

"It means everything to bring it back to where it belongs," Bueckers said of the national championship trophy. "We felt the love in Spokane. We felt the love in Tampa ... Every single person who poured into us, we wouldn't be able to get it done without you guys, so just an overwhelming sense of gratitude."
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The UConn star became emotional as she reflected on her five years at the university.

"I'm forever indebted to you guys," Bueckers said to the fans. "We are all forever indebted to you guys. And from the bottom of my heart, I love you."

Bueckers returned to sit alongside her teammates at the end of her speech, which also brought tears to many of their eyes. The star's college career has come to an emotional end as she achieved her dream of becoming a national champion.

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Final Four: national championship game - Source: Imagn
Final Four: national championship game - Source: Imagn

Paige Bueckers' postseason performance for UConn

The road to a national title wasn't an easy one for Paige Bueckers. During her five years at UConn, she appeared in four Final Fours, including the 2022 championship game. Despite being one of the most dominant players in women's basketball and the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA draft, Bueckers hadn't won a title. This season provided her with one more chance.

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Despite finishing with the No. 1 overall NET ranking, UConn entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 2 seed. The Huskies didn't let this stop them from bringing home the title in Bueckers' last college season.

Final Four: national championship game - Source: Imagn
Final Four: national championship game - Source: Imagn

Bueckers thrived in her final March Madness appearance. This postseason, the guard averaged 24.8 points per game, up from her 19.9 ppg average. She served as a dynamic two-way force, putting up 2.8 steals and 1.3 blocks per game, also both increases from her averages this season.

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On the way to winning the NCAA Tournament, the Huskies had to defeat three No. 1 seeds in USC, UCLA and South Carolina.

UConn never faltered, breezing through the first two rounds. Bueckers stepped up in a more competitive Sweet 16 matchup against No. 3 seeded Oklahoma, recording a career-high 40 points.

Final Four: national championship game - Source: Imagn
Final Four: national championship game - Source: Imagn

Bueckers and her Huskies continued to dominate, with their closest game of the tournament being a 14-point defeat of USC. With the win over South Carolina in the championship, Bueckers ended her college career with the title she has been chasing the past five years. Her gratitude toward her team and its fans was clear at the rally.

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Edited by Joseph Schiefelbein
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