**STORRS, Conn.** — Paige Bueckers shows no outward signs of emotion on senior day. The UConn guard steps onto the court at Gampel Pavilion, hand in hand with her siblings. While her sister cries and many of her teammates wipe away tears, Bueckers wears a quiet smile.
The traditional senior day festivities unfold—Bueckers is presented with a framed jersey, and she and three teammates are celebrated with a flurry of photos. But the crowd of 10,000 fans, lingering after the Huskies’ regular-season finale, focuses on what comes next. A spotlight hits the east wall as a black curtain drops, revealing a small banner honoring Bueckers’ induction into the Huskies of Honor, reserved for the program’s all-time greats. Arms crossed, she acknowledges the moment before turning back to her teammates.
Though her individual accolades place her among UConn’s legends, Bueckers is focused on a different banner—one that signifies a national championship. And this year—more precisely, the next two weeks—represents her final opportunity to make it happen.
The outcome of this March Madness for Bueckers and the No. 2-seeded Huskies will, for better or worse, define how her UConn legacy is remembered.
When Bueckers arrived in Storrs in 2020, UConn had 11 national titles—but none since 2016, Breanna Stewart’s senior year. Championships are the expectation here. Rebecca Lobo has one. Sue Bird, Maya Moore, and Tina Charles each won two. Diana Taurasi claimed three, Stewart four. After a four-year drought, Bueckers was seen as the player who could bring another title home.
Yet a championship has remained just out of reach. Bueckers won National Player of the Year in 2021 and has led UConn to the Final Four in every healthy season, including a national title game appearance. But the ultimate prize has eluded her—and now, time is running out.
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