Paige Bueckers and UConn teammates pay tribute to Martin Luther King Jr with custom practice gear

Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies paid tribute to Martin Luther King Jr during their pre-game workout on Sunday. The third Monday of every January is a federal holiday and is observed as Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the US.

The Huskies' Instagram account shared the images of Bueckers, Aubrey Griffin and Allie Ziebell practicing for their game against Seton Hall.

"Game threads honoring MLK Jr.," the caption read.

UConn Huskies Instagram post (Credits: Instagram/@uconnwbb)

Sunday's game marked Griffin's return after 381 days away from the hardwood. The sixth-year guard sustained an injury on her left ACL on January 3, 2024, when playing against Creighton. She entered the game in the second quarter with 4:37 left on the clock and played 11 minutes, finishing with three points, four rebounds and two assists.

“It feels great to be back out there with my teammates,” Griffin said after the game. "It’s been a long process and every single one of them has been with me every step. I’m just so grateful to be out there again.”

“The first time I went in I was a little nervous. The second time I was a little more comfortable. I know it’s my first game and I know it’s going to take a couple of games to get to feeling like myself, but I think today was a good start.”

The UConn Huskies won 96-36, taking their eighth straight win in the Big East. They now occupy the No. 1 spot in the conference with a 17-2 overall record.

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Paige Bueckers crosses major milestone, sets UConn history

Adding another accolade to her name, Paige Bueckers crossed the 2000 career points mark against Seton Hall. She is the quickest Huskies player (102) to do so, achieving it six games earlier than the previous record holder Maya Moore.

During her postgame chat with the media, Bueckers shared her thoughts on the achievement.

"It means everything, but it takes a village. I did not get here by myself. It's funny, I have my pilates instructor here, Brooke, who came to a game...It's just people like my coach, teammates (and) everybody who's invested in me and stayed with me," Bueckers said.

"I just really want to reward their hard work because everybody sees the 2,000 points, but nobody sees the 2,000 days of hard work. So, it's just a testimony to everybody who's invested in me."

Paige Bueckers and the Huskies return to action on Wednesday against Villanova.