"I've never seen her cry...she cried because she's going to miss me": Geno Auriemma hilariously sums up viral Paige Bueckers moment at NCAA title game

After UConn defeated South Carolina in the NCAA title game, Geno Auriemma and Paige Bueckers shared a viral moment where Bueckers was seen in tears as the two embraced. She has played under Auriemma for five years and ended her chapter at UConn with a national championship.

Bueckers scored 17 points and grabbed six rebounds in the 82-59 win over the Gamecocks. In the postgame press conference, Auriemma was asked to elaborate on the moment and what he told Bueckers during the embrace. In response, he spoke about the special bond that he and Bueckers share.

"Some conversations (between us) are light and fun, you know, don’t mean anything, but today was the first one I think in five years that all the emotions that I’ve been building inside of me came out," Auriemma said, "They came out in her because in five years that she’s been in Connecticut, I’ve never seen her cry. She might deny it, but she cried because she’s going to miss me."

His comments brought laughter to the room. The duo's story ended in fairytale fashion, with one final dance and a national championship trophy to go with it. Bueckers is now set to enter the WNBA draft, which will be held on April 14 in New York.

Paige Bueckers reflects on emotional moment with Geno Auriemma

After the game and celebration, Paige Bueckers spoke with Holly Rowe of ESPN about the emotional moment she shared with her coach, Geno Auriemma. Rowe asked Paige about how coach Auriemma had gotten the best out of her.

"Yeah, he told me he loved me, and I told him I hated him," Bueckers said. "Um, no — I love that man, like more than words can describe, and a lot of times I don't, but it's because he's challenging me and making us all better in ways we never even knew we could."

"He always has our back," the UConn star added. "That's the thing, sometimes it feels like he's on you and he has nothing but bad things to say, but he always has belief, he always has your back. And just the relationship that we have, I can't even put into words."

Geno Auriemma and Bueckers' relationship has been a special one since the Minnesota native committed to UConn in 2020. They often make headlines with their playful banter when speaking to the media, but the respect is always apparent.

NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament - National Championship - Tampa - Source: Getty