"It gets very robotic": UConn's Paige Bueckers believes early training stops kids from being "creative" in their gameplay

When it comes to teaching the next generation, Paige Bueckers does not shy away from showing them the ropes of becoming a star. Bueckers spearheads annual camps through her endorsements, partakes in her fellow teammates' camp days and was even present at WNBA's all-star youth camp in July.

However, when it comes to her personal sentiment about scaling one's game, Bueckers believes that young hoopers need to be out on the court more. On the "Best of Both Worlds" podcast with Flau'jae Johnson, Bueckers claimed that instead of excessive training, youngsters need to dabble more in actual games:

"I think kids these days, most of them, train train train, I think they gotta play more," Bueckers said. "Play more, we're talking about having runs, just loving to play the game, I feel like that's the best way to grow," she added.

Paige Bueckers then delved into her tendency to practice absurd shots, simply to shoot each shot with confidence in games. Flau'jae Johnson agreed with her, and Bueckers emphasized the importance of letting the creative juices flow on the court.

"Yeah, and it gets very robotic, you have to do this, you have to shoot the layup off your left foot. Just be creative, I feel like that's the best way to learn." 21:08

A major reason behind Bueckers' continued success is competitive games. The Minnesota native played for Hopkins High School alongside representing North Tartan in the AAU circuit.

Paige Bueckers also garnered significant international experience before joining the UConn Huskies

Bueckers' skills on the court brought prominent eyes to her game early in her career. However, she stayed on her course to garner the maximum experience possible before entering UConn.

She embraced the national team's training and player evaluation camps, making her a part of Team USA's FIBA U16 Americas Championship and 2018 Youth Olympic Games. She was a part of the U17 and U19 World Cup successes, making her a four-time gold medalist before beginning her college career.

Additionally, Paige Bueckers played a vital role in Team USA's success, becoming the U19 World Cup's Most Valuable Player and America's Female Athlete of the Year in 2019.