“Real thin, frail, really talented, gifted": 11-time NCAA Champ Geno Auriemma shares first impressions of star guard Paige Bueckers

UConn star Paige Bueckers had been spotted since high school, and it was clear to Huskies coach Geno Auriemma that she had something special. Auriemma's first impression of the young guard wasn’t just about her skill. During an interview with GQ Magazine released on Tuesday, Auriemma recalled the first time he watched Bueckers play during her freshman year of high school.

While her talent was undeniable, what caught his attention was the way she connected with her teammates.

“She [Paige Bueckers] was really thin, frail, really talented, gifted,” Auriemma said. “Watching her, you could see that she and her teammates had a connection. A lot of times, the best player on the team doesn’t necessarily have a great connection with the rest of their players.”

Bueckers' all-round ability on the court seemed to inform Auriemma's decision to select her for his UConn program. Fast forward to today, and Bueckers has been a standout player for the Huskies, averaging 18.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and shooting 53.3% this season.

Paige Bueckers’ reunion with former teammate unlikely as WNBA star ruled out for 2025 season

It is uncertain whether Paige Bueckers will be reunited with ex-UConn teammate Lou Lopez Sénéchal in the WNBA before the 2025 season with the Dallas Wings. Despite being selected as the fifth overall in 2023, the 26-year-old will continue to play in Dallas. While she is expected to stay under contract, her playing career has been derailed by injuries.

Due to her injury recovery, Sénéchal has been out of action for a full season twice, with her first absence occurring in 2023. Sénéchal was unable to make the first team in Dallas' starting rotation last year, despite being healthy and only averaging just 0.9 points with some minutes of play.

During her final year at UConn, Sénéchal spent four years playing for Fairfield High School before being selected to join Bueckers and create a potent backcourt duo. Due to Bueckers' ACL injury in August, the reunion was postponed to 2022.

Averaging 15.5 points per game, Senechal was second to Aaliyah Edwards and shot an impressive 47.6%, with 44% from beyond the arc. The Wings selected her in the 2023 WNBA draft because of her performance. With Sénéchal now sidelined for another year, the possibility of Bueckers joining her in Dallas seems uncertain.

The Wings hold the first pick in the 2025 WNBA draft, and Bueckers is widely expected to be taken at No. 1.