There’s a reason why her nickname is “Paige Buckets.”
And Geno Auriemma and UConn women’s basketball are sure glad Paige Bueckers is on their side because of it.
As she has so many times throughout her career at UConn, the Huskies star guard took over the scoring in Saturday’s Sweet 16 win against No. 3 seed Oklahoma at Spokane Arena, sending UConn back to the Elite Eight for the fourth time in the last five years.
And because of that, the likely No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming WNBA draft set a new career high.
REQUIRED READING: Paige Bueckers, UConn women’s basketball storm to Elite Eight: Highlights, stats
FOLLOW THE MADNESS: NCAA women’s basketball scores, schedules, teams and more.
Here’s what you need to know:
Paige Bueckers career high points
Bueckers set a new career-high in Saturday’s win for UConn with 40 points on 16-of-27 shooting from the field. Her previous career-high was 34 points, which she reached twice in her career: in 2021 vs. Arkansas and in the second-round of the women’s NCAA Tournament this year vs. South Dakota State.
The Hopkins, Minnesota native also moved up to No. 4 on UConn’s all-time scoring list after Saturday’s Sweet 16 win over Oklahoma, as she surpassed Katie Lou Samuelson (2,342) and Tina Charles (2,346). She only now trails Maya Moore (3,036), Breanna Stewart (2,676) and Napheesa Collier (2,401) on the Huskies’ all-time scoring list.
“It really is not about me,” Bueckers told ESPN’s Holly Rowe after the game when asked what it is like to add her name further to UConn’s record book.
Following Saturday’s performance, Bueckers is now averaging 28.3 points in three women’s March Madness games this year. She has scored 74 combined points in the Huskies’ last two women’s NCAA Tournament games.
How tall is Paige Bueckers?
Bueckers is listed at 6-foot on UConn’s official roster.
Paige Bueckers stats
Here’s a look at Bueckers’ full box score Saturday:
- Points: 40
- Rebounds: Six
- Assists: One
- Steals: Three
- Field Goal Shooting: 16 of 27 (59.2%)
- 3-Point shooting percentage: 6 of 8 (75%)
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