Nika Muhl drops 1-word reaction after Paige Bueckers joins exclusive list dominated by Caitlin Clark

Paige Bueckers lit the scoreboard during tonight’s UConn Huskies-Oklahoma Sooners matchup. UConn’s star guard erupted for a career-best performance, scoring 40 points on an efficient 59.3% FG.

Buecker’s memorable performance has resulted in the Huskies clinching a dominant 82-59 March Madness Sweet 16 win as she receives praise from the entire basketball community, including former teammate Nika Muhl.

Muhl, a UConn alum and current member of the Seattle Storm, shared an Instagram Story congratulating Bueckers for setting her program’s tournament record.

“Ode,” Muhl captioned her Story, sharing UConn Huskies and UConn Women’s Basketball’s post.

Credits: Instagram (@nika.muhl)

Besides the 40-point outburst, the 23-year-old managed to grab 6 rebounds and knock down 6 3-pointers. By achieving this feat, Bueckers joins the elite company to record 40+ points, 5+ rebounds, and 5+ 3PM in an NCAA tournament game.

The exclusive list is dominated by Caitlin Clark, who achieved the feat on three occasions (twice in 2023 and once in 2024), followed by Kelsey Mitchell in 2016.

Paige Bueckers receives criticism from UConn coach

Paige Bueckers etched her name into the history books with an unforgettable 40-point performance, setting multiple NCAA tournament and UConn program records. Reacting to her incredible display, UConn head coach Geno Auriemma revealed his admiration for the senior guard.

“Obviously, Paige was spectacular. That was as good a game as I’ve seen her play the whole time she’s been here, at the most important time. When you’re a senior and you’ve been around as long as she has, this is what you’re here to do,” Geno Auriemma said.

While he clearly implied this was Bueckers’ best outing in a UConn uniform, Auriemma also made sure to keep her grounded. Not wanting the praise to get to her head, the legendary coach humorously critiqued her defense.

“Did I really say that, that that's the best I've seen her play? That came out of my mouth? Well, that's the most I've seen her shoot, and she was really bad defensively, so we can't just let her off the hook that easily," Auriemma jokingly replied.

The Huskies will now face the USC Trojans in their ninth Elite Eight appearance in the past 11 editions of March Madness. Unfortunately, USC will play their upcoming clash without star JuJu Watkins, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury.

While the Watkins-less Trojans managed to defeat Kansas State in their Sweet 16 clash, upsetting Paige Bueckers and co. will be a near-impossible task for Lindsay Gottlieb’s girls.