Geno Auriemma unravels Paige Bueckers' mindset on dealing with pressure and expectations every night

UConn's Paige Bueckers just had one of the most intense matchups of her senior season of college basketball right before the holiday break. On Dec. 21, the Huskies faced the USC Trojans, where they faltered 72-70.

In the game, Bueckers dropped 22 points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal. The Geno Auriemma-coached squad now looks ahead to their matchup against the Providence Friars on Sunday in hopes of notching their 11th victory of the season.

During the pregame press conference, Auriemma detailed how his fourth-year sensation deals with the pressure and expectations to perform well every night.

"I’m sure she wants to be better — with a lot of things," Auriemma said, as reported by UConn journalist Jake McCreven.

It's been reported that Bueckers cares deeply about her efficiency, picking her spots extensively when deciding when to attempt a shot. As such, it should not come as a surprise to many that her head coach knows she wants to improve in a multitude of ways, especially as the clear leader of the 2024-25 Huskies.

Perhaps her loss to JuJu Watkins last Saturday can serve as a wake-up call for Bueckers in her bid to become the No. 1 pick in next year's WNBA draft.

Watkins outplayed Bueckers this time around, after losing to her in the Elite 8 last season, with an all-around stat line of 25 points, six rebounds, five assists a steal and three blocks.

Bueckers and the rest of the Huskies now look forward to their Sunday meeting against the Providence Friars to open play after the holiday break on their home court.

Geno Auriemma says Paige Bueckers is living up to the expectations so far

In the press conference, Auriemma shared that he believes Paige Bueckers is one of the few players in the country who faces an enormous amount of expectations. However, given how she has performed this year, he believes she has been somewhat meeting them.

"I think she's one of the few players in the country that has outrageous expectations placed on her and she probably has them that she places on herself. So, I think if you take it as a whole those 12 games that we played, I would say she's pretty much lived up to all the things." Auriemma said. (24:00)

Paige Bueckers hopes to cap her collegiate career off with a championship, which UConn last won in 2016.