SPOKANE, Wash. — Paige Bueckers was asked earlier this week what her advice would be to younger players competing in their first NCAA Tournaments as the pressure mounts this time of year. Bueckers, UConn’s star guard, kept it simple.
“Do what got you here,” she said, “and just level it up a notch.”
No one does that quite like Paige Buckets, who took her own advice (and then some) on Saturday afternoon in Spokane,Wash., where she dropped a career-high 40 points as No. 2 UConn cruised past No. 3 Oklahoma 82-59 in the Spokane 4 regional of the Sweet 16.
Bueckers finished 16-of-27 from the field and six-of-eight from 3 on another night when she was unguardable, setting a UConn NCAA Tournament record for points and single-handedly out-scoring the Sooners 29-23 in the second half.
The Sooners had no answers for her midrange game off high-ball screens or her range from deep.
Paige. Bueckers.
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Oklahoma, which hung right in on the glass with UConn and finished with 41 rebounds to UConn’s 43, ultimately fell short because they couldn’t contain Bueckers. They turned the ball over 23 times, and they shot 28 percent from 3 compared to UConn’s 38 percent mark.
Coach Jennie Baranczyk’s team finishes the year 27-8. Bueckers, meanwhile, is on to the next as she continues to chase her first national title with the Huskies. Monday night will mark UConn’s 29th time in the Elite Eight.
Bueckers’ offensive onslaught translated to defense
Bueckers has already cemented herself as one of the all-time greats in Storrs, but she’s picking quite the time to play some of the best basketball of her career as she continues to chase her first national championship.
In addition to the 40 points, she finished with six rebounds and was everywhere for the Huskies — diving on the floor for loose balls, keeping UConn calm when Oklahoma made first-half runs and finishing with two blocks as she helped set the tone on defense.
She made the unthinkable look easy, pulling up off the dribble and knocking down shots from everywhere as Oklahoma threw multiple defenders on her. The Hopkins, Minn., native is declaring for the 2025 WNBA Draft and has made it known this year’s goal is nothing short of a national title. When she locks in and asserts herself like this … good luck to anyone trying to stop her.
Ashlynn Shade ignites UConn’s offense
Bueckers didn’t need much help against the Sooners, but it only gets harder from here as the tournament progresses, and UConn coach Geno Auriemma has to be pleased with the production he again got from sophomore guard Ashlynn Shade.
Shade, who entered Saturday averaging 8.1 points per game, scored 12 after dropping 20 against Arkansas State in Round 1. She had just three points against South Dakota State in Round 2, showing her ability to bounce back and give UConn an additional boost. She provided the Huskies a spark with two 3-pointers in the first quarter. She finished the night 5-of-8 from the field and hauled in four rebounds, too.
UConn’s machine continues to roll
The Huskies have made 15 of the last 16 Final Fours and have made the Elite 8 every year since 2006, except in 2023, when Bueckers was out for the year with a knee injury.
A win against the Trojans or Wildcats would send them to Tampa, Fla., as they look for the program’s 12th national title, all under Auriemma.
(Photo: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)