Stars seemed to have aligned for Paige Bueckers when she announced she wasn’t done with UConn just yet last spring. Sure, the Huskies haven’t made championship team conversations often, thanks in part to the LA teams’ resurgence. But Geno Auriemma’s squad has managed to stay healthy, reign consistency, and to sweeten it all, Bueckers finds herself topping lists once again. Setbacks may have marred the guard who stepped out to “do great things,” but the 2021 NPOY is still in the game, and she is proving it one game at a time.
On Saturday, with just under seven minutes left in the first quarter, Paige Bueckers knocked down a three-pointer. That wasn’t just UConn’s first points of the game, it was her 376th NCAA Tournament point. A quiet moment in the game but a massive one in history. With that shot, she passed UConn’s Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (374) and LSU’s Seimone Augustus (374) on the all-time NCAA Tournament scoring list. Now, she’s in the top ten. Just like that, another milestone checked off.
Bueckers now sits at 413 career tournament points. That puts her within striking distance of Caitlin Clark’s all-time record of 492. Social media is buzzing about her chase for history. Fans and analysts are doing the math—she needs at least 80 more points in the next three games, around 27 per game.
Clark set her record between 2021 and 2024, finishing with 492 NCAA Tournament points across 17 games. Her last game? Iconic. She dropped 30 points in the 2024 title game, doing everything she could to will Iowa to a championship. But it just wasn’t to be hers. The Huskies guard, however, stands a real chance to surpass that. ESPN ranks UConn No.1 in Elite Eight after that dominant 82-59 showing against the Sooners. Credit in large part? Paige Bueckers.
Paige Bueckers is currently at 413 Points on the all time NCAA Tournament Scoring Leaderboard.
To surpass Caitlin Clark’s historic 492 Points, Bueckers would need to make the championship game totalling atleast 80 Points in those three games (~27 PPG) pic.twitter.com/Rbhb4au5Xb
— Paige Report (@paige_report) March 30, 2025
Facing No.3-seeded Oklahoma in the Sweet 16, Bueckers dropped a career-high 40 points. She had set her best just the previous game with 34 points. But this one pushed her past all the UConn legends to make her the first Husky to put up that score in an NCAA tournament. The star guard would also grab six boards, snag 3 steals, and dish out an assist.
For the POTY candidate, the mission is clear. She wants to win it all. She’s already one of UConn’s top tournament scorers, trailing only Diana Taurasi (428), Breanna Stewart (446), and Maya Moore (476). But unlike them, she hasn’t won a NCAA championship. That’s the one thing missing from her resume. This is her last shot before heading to the WNBA. If she can push UConn to the title game and break Clark’s record along the way, her legacy won’t just be set—it’ll be unforgettable.
Bueckers is to UConn what Clark was to Iowa. The heartbeat of the team. The player who makes everything go. Clark made Iowa must-watch basketball. Bueckers is doing the same for UConn. Now, she has the chance to take it one step further and put her name in the history books forever.
Paige Bueckers has eyes on the bigger pitcure
“[I’m] keeping that big picture in mind,” Bueckers said of winning a championship, “but focusing on also setting the small brush strokes.” That’s exactly how she plays—seeing the big picture but nailing every detail. If UConn is going to win it all, Bueckers has to be at her best. And right now, she is.
Bueckers does it all. She can score at all three levels—hitting deep threes, creating mid-range shots, and finishing tough layups in traffic. But it’s not just about putting up points. She makes her teammates better with sharp passes and elite court vision. Geno Auriemma, knows exactly how important she is. “She’s one of those players who changes the game every time she steps on the court,” the HC said. “She leads, she makes plays, and she does whatever it takes to win.”
When Bueckers committed to UConn back in 2019, the program was just 2 wins away from possibly grabbing its 12th title. Nothing much has changed in that statement since then. 6 years in, the Huskies are still chasing the 12th title, this time, 3 wins away. But the 23-year-old has her best shot now with plenty talent and depth. Could Bueckers finally add the long awaited title to her name?
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