STORRS, Conn. — UConn star Paige Bueckers and coach Geno Auriemma both say they will be backꦦ at the school next season.
A senior academically, Bueckers made the announcement during senior night ceremonies at Gampel Pavilion following the team’s on Friday night.
Tell꧙ing the crowd she wanted to “address the elephant in the room,” Bueckers sai🀅d, “Unfortunately, this will not be my last year.”
Her coach followed that announcement by ending any speculation that he might retire at season’s end.
during senior night ceremonies after the team’s NCAA college
basketball game against Georgetown. AP
He joked to reporters that he was planning to come back next year as well, “until Paige announced that she’s coming back.”
He then added, “Yeah, I’ll be back.”
Bueckers was named national player of the year a🌌s a freshman, spe🐻nding that season playing in front of cardboard cutouts during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading the Huskies to the national semifinals where they lost to Arizona.
She spent most of her sophomore year on the 𒈔bench with tibia plateau fracture in her left knee, but came back in time to lead the Huskies to the national champi🀅onship game, where they lost to South Carolina.
She suffered a torn ACL in t💃hat same knee before last season and was out the entire year.
Bueckers, Aaliyah Edwards, Nika Muhl and Aubrey Griffin were all honored Frཧiday.
Griffin, , also announced she will be back next season. ཧShe is one of five Huskies out for the rest of the season with i🍌njuries.
The otheꦑrs — Azzi Fudd, Jana El-Alfy, Caroline Ducharme and Annaya Patterson — all are expected back𝓰.
Edwards and Muhl did not announce their plans, but both said, “We’re not done yet.”
Bueckers has two years of eligibility remaining.
Edwards, Muhl and Griffin each have one.
But both Edwards and Buܫeckers have 🃏been projected as high first-round picks should they enter the WNBA draft.
As international players, Muhl (Croatia) and Edwards (Canada) also have not been able to make the 𒁃NIL money that has been flowing to their teammates while in college.
Auriemma said he would be surp꧃rised if Muhl or Edwards returned for an extra ye🦹ar.
Auriemma said he wasn’t certain Bueckers would be back, until she announced it to the crowd.
“I never pressed her on it either,” he said.
Bueckers said Thursday that she is not giving up on winning a national championship this season, despite five decisive losses to top teams — North Carolina State, UCLA, Texas, Notre Dame and South Caroꦯlina.
UConn has just four regular-season games remaining including games at home against𓆉 Creighton on Monday in Hartford and Villanova on Feb. 28 at Gampel.
