"I had no idea it was such a big deal": Paige Bueckers makes her feelings known on being 6 points away from 2k career points

UConn guard Paige Bueckers said she wasn't aware of reaching the 2,000-point mark until after the game against St. John's. Bueckers made the admission on Friday in the team's media availability session for Sunday's game against Seton Hall.

The Huskies guard returned to the team on Wednesday against St. John's after missing two games due to a left knee sprain she sustained in the third quarter of the game against Villanova on Jan. 5. She started and scored 12 points, moving her six points away from reaching the 2,000-point milestone.

When asked about her feelings about reaching the career points mark, she said she was clueless until the final buzzer against St. John's.

"I feel like each person has their own individual outlook on it," Bueckers said (4:30). "I honestly didn't even know I was six points away until after last game. I had no idea it was such a big deal."

Paige Bueckers has a chance to break into the 2,000-point mark when the Huskies (16-2, 7-0 in Big East) face Seton Hall (13-4, 5-1) on Sunday at the Gampel Pavilion in Storrs. The Pirates are coming off a 58-52 victory over Marquette on Wednesday.

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Paige Bueckers makes her feelings known about Aubrey Griffin's comeback

Paige Bueckers expressed excitement about the impending comeback of UConn forward Aubrey Griffin from a knee injury that sidelined her for a year. Griffin tore her ACL in her left knee on Dec. 3, 2023, in the Huskies' win against Creighton, causing her to miss the rest of the 2023-24 season.

Bueckers, who tore her ACL in August 2022, knows the feeling of missing a year due to a major injury. She's excited to have the 6-foot-1 forward back and hopes she'll be a major contributor to the team's mission to capture their first title since 2016.

"It means everything to have Aubrey back," Bueckers said (0:16). She's been a part of this program for a long time now. She knows what it's all about. She's a huge part of this team."

Last month, UConn coach Geno Auriemma gave a timeline for Aubrey Griffin's return to the court. He said the forward will be back in the middle of January at the soonest.

Before tearing her ACL, Griffin averaged 9.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game in the 2023-24 women's college basketball season. In four seasons, the forward tallied 8.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.1 apg and 1.4 spg in 110 games for the Huskies.

She's expected to back up freshman Sarah Strong in the power forward spot for the second half of the season.