Paige Bueckers makes her feelings known on having Maya Moore and Diana Taurasi as mentors

Paige Bueckers has been fortunate to have UConn greats like Maya Moore and Diana Taurasi as mentors. Moore and Taurasi both carved a legendary legacy at UConn and have gone on to become WNBA icons, with Bueckers also following in their footsteps.

On Wednesday, during her media availability ahead of the Huskies' Thursday game against Creighton, Bueckers was asked about the comfort that comes with knowing some of the greatest players to ever play the game are there for advice and support.

"It's very reassuring to know that they're there whenever you need them," Bueckers said (at 2:48). "It's very selfless of them and just very humble of them to be able to have that relationship with us.

"And so you never want to take it for granted and think that it's something that they're obligated to do. So very grateful that they're just one call away."

Taurasi announced the end of her stellar career on Tuesday. Her stint in Storrs lasted from 2000 to 2004 and brought the Huskies three NCAA championships. Moore had an equally glorious career at UConn, from 2007 to 2011, earning two national titles.

Paige Bueckers looks to Diana Taurasi's WNBA career as blueprint for future success

Paige Bueckers has stated more than once that this will be her final collegiate season as she intends to declare for the WNBA draft. There is still work to do in her final year with UConn if the Huskies are to win their 12th national title.

The 6-foot Minnesota native is considered the top prospect for the 2025 WNBA draft, much like Diana Taurasi was 21 years prior when she was selected as the first pick by the Phoenix Mercury.

When asked about her aspirations to have a career similar to the WNBA icon, Paige Bueckers said she is focused more on the present but acknowledged that Taurasi's success is something she wants to emulate.

"To be as much of a winner as she has, is always something that you want to set goals for yourself," Bueckers said in the same interview (at 8:25). "But she had an amazing career, obviously one of the greats, and so when looking at the blueprint on how to do it and the success she's had is definitely something you look at."

Taurasi has played in 11 WNBA All-Star Games, earning three WNBA championships and two WNBA Finals MVPs throughout her 20-year professional career. That is a perfect roadmap that was laid out by Taurasi that Paige Bueckers could follow in her pursuit to etch her name among the greats in the sport.