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

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

About the author

Lindsey Ware is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over five years of experience working with publications such as The News & Observer, The Daily Tar Heel, Triangle Tribune and Cardiac Cane. She has also worked for Major League Baseball, The Holly Springs Salamanders, The Tri-City Chili Peppers, Tuffy Talk, Super Meteors Basketball, Just Good Network and Living Sport.

Lindsey has a Bachelor’s Degree in Media and Journalism from UNC Chapel Hill. Her education allowed Lindsey to gain experience in sports communication, which she honed in internships. Other than being a storyteller and sports fanatic, Lindsey is also a social media and marketing specialist.

Her favorite college team is UNC, although she grew up a N.C. State fan as both of her parents are Wolfpack alumni. Michael Jordan was a huge deal in North Carolina when Lindsey was growing up, and after a summer spent at UNC’s Sports Journalism Camp back in high school, Lindsey was set on being a Tar Heel.

Lindsey's favorite college coach of all time is Roy Williams. During her time attending UNC Chapel Hill and writing for The Daily Tar Heel, Lindsey was lucky enough to meet and speak with Williams a few times. He was like a celebrity on UNC’s campus and was beloved for his coaching style and success with the Tar Heels, accumulating three NCAA championship titles in 18 years.

When not watching or writing about sports, Lindsey enjoys reading, trying new restaurants and coffee shops, and spending time with my friends, family and dog. She also likes to journal, watch movies and paint.

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Edited by Joseph Schiefelbein