"Never wanted to be a ball so bad": College hoops fans react as Paige Bueckers makes a mishap during practice 

Paige Bueckers is training hard for her final season with the UConn Huskies. The guard has shared multiple videos of her practice sessions on her Instagram. One such video caught Bueckers taking a hit to her face with the basketball.

A fan shared the short clip on TikTok on Saturday and wrote in the caption:

"Her face killed me. She played it off."

On the video, it said:

"Not the ball hitting her face😭."

View on TikTok

Fans reacted to the mishap in the comments, with one writing:

"Never wanted to be a ball so bad."

Fan reactions to Paige Bueckers (Credits: TikTok/@lil.paigey_5)

After coming close to an NCAA championship last season, Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies will be looking for their shot at winning the title. The Huskies last won a championship in 2016, marking the end of the iconic Breanna Stewart. The guard admitted to an urgency now, heading into her fifth season.

“I was sick about the last game and sick about how our season ended.” She said (via The Ringer). “This is my last year to get what I came here for. … The urgency is at an all-time high.”

Paige Bueckers hopes to share the spotlight with her peers

Paige Bueckers entered college as one of the most talked about players. During her time with the Huskies, the guard has been the center of much media attention. She is also predicted to be one of the faces of the sport in the upcoming season.

However, before the Final Four in April 2024, Paige Bueckers shared that she does not want to be the center of attention and was hoping to share the spotlight. Bueckers reiterated the same in the interview with The Ringer.

“I don’t think I should be on a pedestal, and I don’t think I should be looked at differently just because I can put a ball in a basket better than some others can,” Bueckers said.

“I’m just a normal human being that loves to play basketball. That’s how my parents raised me, to always just be humble, be gracious. Shining light on other people doesn’t diminish your own.”

Women's college basketball has seen a huge jump in attention in the past few years. Paige Bueckers, with JuJu Watkins, Flau'jae Johnson and Hannah Hidalgo are expected to bring more eyes to the game in the upcoming seasons.