Paige Bueckers sends powerful message ahead of UConn vs South Carolina NCAA championship game: "Anything you did prior to the season means nothing"

Paige Bueckers isn’t looking back, and she doesn’t want her team to either. Moments after UConn’s 85-51 win over No. 1 seed UCLA in the Final Four, the Huskies star sent a message ahead of their national championship clash ahead defending champions South Carolina.

Speaking to ESPN’s Holly Rowe, Bueckers made it plain: past records don’t matter now.

“Yeah, at this point anything you did prior to the season means nothing,” she said (1:08). “The record is 0-0 and the teams are trying to go 1-0 in this final game.”

Bueckers, who led UConn to a national title game as a sophomore, cut through the noise with a reminder that resonates in any championship moment - what’s behind you doesn’t help you now. Even though UConn once snapped South Carolina’s 71-game win streak earlier in the season, she said that this is a new game, with everything on the line.

"We have 40 minutes to give everything we have in our entire souls and bodies," she added.

The Huskies have dominated on the big stage, winning 11 of their 12 appearances in the championship game. Their only loss was a 2022 championship game defeat to South Carolina.

Paige Bueckers’ UConn & South Carolina will be a clash of rising stars

Sunday’s UConn–South Carolina showdown isn’t just about history—it’s a preview of women’s college basketball’s future. Two of the nation’s top freshmen, Sarah Strong and Joyce Edwards will take center stage in a clash of rising stars.

Edwards, a force on the boards and a sharp passer posted 13 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists in South Carolina’s win over Texas.

Strong, UConn’s floor-spacing playmaker, dropped a team-high 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds, hitting four of six from deep in their win over UCLA.

Paige Bueckers (5) reacts on the bench - Source: Imagn

However, coach Dawn Staley and Geno Auriemma aren’t just leading two of the top teams this season. Back in 1991, UConn made its first Final Four appearance. Waiting there was No. 2 seed Virginia, led by a fierce point guard named Dawn Staley. Virginia won that game, and both coaches still remember every detail.

Now, the spotlight shifts to their head-to-head battle on Sunday.