"She was the Paige [Bueckers] of Princeton": Geno Auriemma dives into Kaitlyn Chen's adjustments coming to UConn amid major praise

UConn Huskies guard Kaitlyn Chen had one of her best games of the 2024-25 season on Wednesday, Jan. 29. In an 84-58 Big East road win over the DePaul Blue Demons, the fourth-year standout posted a team-high 17 points on an efficient 7-of-9 clip. She also added a rebound, three assists and a steal in just 19 minutes of play for coach Geno Auriemma.

It seems as though the Princeton Tigers transferee has found a home in the program of the sixth-ranked team in the nation. While Chen is averaging career lows of 6.7 points, 1.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.0 steals per game in her fourth season, she has helped the Huskies in their pursuit of a national championship in their conference's tough level of play compared to her previous setting.

During the post-game press conference, Auriemma discussed how the senior has fit into her new role with the powerhouse program after being the focal point of her former team for three straight years:

"It's a difficult situation for her as well. She's used to having the ball all the time at Princeton. She was the Paige (Bueckers) of Princeton. She had to do everything for them. Now, she's just being asked to kind of do her part. But, that doesn't mean her part doesn't have to be anything less," he said (1:24).

"As you can see, she's a terrific offensive player. Let's hope she's got another those in her Sunday," Auriemma then concluded.

Despite her contributions being sparser this season, Kaitlyn has helped UConn achieve an unblemished 11-0 conference record and a 20-2 overall record. If her performance on Wednesday is any indication, we can expect Chen to be more involved in the Huskies' game plan moving forward, with hopes of breaking their nine-year national championship drought.

Geno Auriemma says Kaitlyn Chen overcame doubts about scoring the ball

Statistically, Kaitlyn Chen's first season with Geno Auriemma and the UConn Huskies hasn't been her strongest. However, her experience showed on Wednesday as she displayed her readiness under any circumstances, starting off hot with a perfect 5-for-5. Auriemma expressed his satisfaction with her adjustment during the press conference:

"When the ball's not going in, there's a certain mindset that you have to have to keep shooting. So, when it wasn't going in, there was a little bit of doubt, a little hesitation. Today, I think she had a different mindset." (0:35).

It will be interesting to see if Chen will have more touches in the Huskies' next conference fixture against the Butler Bulldogs on Sunday, Feb. 2, on their home court.