"You can't put a value on that": Geno Auriemma compares Paige Bueckers to Diana Taurasi

UConn coach Geno Auriemma has continued to express his admiration for Paige Bueckers, comparing her to Huskies legend and WNBA star Diana Taurasi.

Bueckers tallied 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting, along with six assists, three rebounds and a steal to lead No. 2 UConn to a 71-52 victory over Oregon State on Monday night at the Baha Mar Women’s Championship, where the Huskies never trailed.

In a postgame interview following the Huskies' fifth victory of the season, Auriemma responded to a question about what signals Paige Bueckers is playing at the highest level for the success of the team.

"When the ball finds her, and she instinctively makes an aggressive decision with it," Auriemma said. "There’s only one time when Paige is not, I think, really hard to guard.

"It’s when she becomes passive and wants to get everybody else involved and then loses her aggressiveness, because when she wants to score—you know, when Paige wanted to get like 35 every night—she can get 35."

Auriemma believes Bueckers could lead the nation in scoring, and if she did, UConn would likely have a chance at winning the national championship. He mentioned that the star guard could even score 50 points in some games, but for her, it’s not about the numbers.

"I think for our team she understands: 'I could score whenever I want, but what’s the point? Do I really need the numbers? When do I need to win?'" Auriemma said.

Auriemma further explained how Paige Bueckers reminds him of Diana Taurasi, another UConn star who made her mark as one of the greatest offensive players.

“I keep using Diana as an example. Maya was terrific too, don’t get me wrong, but Dee, at the time, was the greatest offensive player I’ve ever seen—certainly for us,” Auriemma said. “There would be nights when she would score 30 and wouldn’t even try, and then the next night she would get 3 because she didn’t need to, and then it was somebody else’s turn.

“But when we got to the NCAA Tournament, that thing changed. So now you’ve got to elevate your teammates. You’ve got to make your teammates better, and you have to show them you trust them.

“So when they’re open, you have to give them the ball because, in a big game, when you get doubled and you give them the ball, they have to know, 'Paige trusts me, man, so I’m gonna get it, and I need to knock it down.' You can’t put a value on that.”

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Bueckers has frequently been mentioned in conversations alongside some of the game's greatest players. Her relentless scoring, confidence, and swagger on the court have often led to comparisons with Diana Taurasi's legendary junior and senior years.

It’s no surprise that UConn coach Geno Auriemma continues to draw parallels between the two. In an Oct. 3 article, The Ringer's Mirin Fader explained why Auriemma thinks Paige Bueckers should adopt qualities from one of UConn's past icons.

"In Auriemma’s ideal world, he would like Bueckers to adopt a mentality similar to (Diana) Taurasi’s," Fader wrote. "'That little bit of an edginess,' Auriemma says, before putting it more bluntly: 'A f***-you mentality.'

"Auriemma often tells Bueckers that basketball is like boxing and that he wants her to come out throwing the first punch, instead of waiting to see what happens. Deferring."

As early as 2020, Geno Auriemma had already made comparisons between Bueckers and Taurasi, not hesitating to make the boldest comparison.

“(Bueckers) thinks she’s going to be Dee. She has all the mannerisms. She has Dee’s game. She has all the stuff that goes along with Dee,” Auriemma said.

Paige Bueckers and the Huskies are currently 6-0, putting UConn on top of the Big East conference.

Paige Bueckers and Diana Taurasi Maintain a Close Relationship

Despite the frequent comparisons between their playstyles, Paige Bueckers and Diana Taurasi share a strong bond off the court.

The former UConn and WNBA star expressed high praise for Bueckers as early as 2021, during the Huskies’ standout freshman guard's showdown with fellow first-year star Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the women’s Sweet 16.

Last year, when Paige Bueckers was officially cleared to return for the 2023-24 season after missing the previous year with an ACL tear, Taurasi emphasized how her return would elevate both the Huskies and NCAA women’s basketball.

“This team, that hopefully will be healthy going into the season, has a chance to be one of the most exciting teams that we’ve ever seen,” Taurasi said. “As a fan and obviously alumni now, I’m excited to see it.”

The two shared a heartfelt moment during the WNBA All-Star Game last July, where Taurasi represented Team USA, and Bueckers, attending as a spectator, cheered from the sidelines.

Whether the two UConn stars will ever share the WNBA court remains uncertain. Taurasi is still deciding whether to return for another WNBA season or retire after a 20-year career, taking her time to make the decision. Meanwhile, Paige Bueckers is focused on leading the Huskies and chasing an NCAA Tournament championship in her final year as a redshirt senior.