"Natty otw": Fans excited as Paige Bueckers and UConn stars strike up goofy poses ahead of Final Four clash vs UCLA

UConn star Paige Bueckers has guided the Huskies to the Final Four after a dominant performance in their 78-64 win over the USC Trojans on Monday evening. The Huskies will now play the UCLA Bruins for a shot at the championship game on Friday evening.

On Thursday, the UConn team, including the likes of Katelyn Chen, Kamorea Arnold, Sarah Strong, Azzi Fudd, and Bueckers, took sets of fun pictures in various poses commemorating their March Madness campaign.

The pictures were posted on the ESPN Instagram page.

College basketball fans on X had positive reactions to Paige Bueckers posing with her teammates for the pictures.

"Best team out there, one fan wrote.

"These are so cute," another fan wrote.

"Ring otw," one fan wrote.

"Love this squad! Natty otw!!" Another fan wrote.

"KK with the dunk," one fan wrote.

"Jana photo didn't have to go so hard and the rest of the pics too!!!" Another fan wrote.

Fans' comments on ESPN's IG post.

Paige Bueckers sets natty goal for the Huskies

The UConn Huskies, led by Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong, have dominated the Big East and ended the reigning national champions, the South Carolina Gamecocks' 71-game unbeaten run at the Colonial Life Arena in February.

After arriving at the Final Four, the UConn star revealed during the pregame conference her expectations for the season.

"Obviously, there’s expectations here," Paige Bueckers said. "And anything less than a national championship is really a disappointment. As players, that’s what you play for and what you want to live up to. And the expectations and the pressure, it’s a privilege.

"The possession that you're in is the most important possession of the season. If you approach every possession like that you'll have a sense of urgency to get everything right."

The Huskies have had several near misses at the Final Four stage during the Paige Bueckers era, controversially going down 71-69 to the Caitlin Clark-led Iowa Hawkeyes last season. After that game, UConn coach, Geno Auriemma challenged his superstar to shoot more and during this year's Big Dance, Bueckers has done exactly that.

Ahead of the UCLA game, Auriemma revealed his motivation tactics for Bueckers, and paid her the ultimate compliment by comparing her to Huskies legend, Diana Taurasi.

"They (Taurasi & Bueckers) can summon up something that’s needed at a time when it’s exactly needed," Auriemma said. "They take responsibility for what happens. They’re not afraid of the criticism that might come if they fail."

Both Geno Auriemma and Paige Bueckers are motivated to make this a memorable season by winning the Huskies' first national championship in nine years as a farewell gift for the future UConn legend.