After five seasons at Connecticut, Paige Bueckers is ending her college career as a national champion, and she couldn’t hide her emotions finally capturing that elusive title.
UConn completely controlled the women’s national championship game against South Carolina en route to the program’s 12th title. The game reached blowout territory in the fourth quarter as the Huskies led by as much as 32 points in the final frame. As the game was decided, UConn coach Geno Auriemma pulled his starters in the final minutes, including Bueckers.
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With 1:32 left in the game and the Huskies up by 29 points, Bueckers exited the game and went straight to hug Auriemma. She instantly became emotional with tears in her eyes and buried her head in Auriemma’s chest, a moment both sides hoped would happen during their time together. The two exchanged words before Bueckers went to hug the rest of her team.
What Geno Auriemma, Paige Bueckers said to each other
The embrace was an emotional one, and after the win, Auriemma said what he told Bueckers during the hug.
“I love you. That’s all I could say. I love you,” Auriemma said on the ABC broadcast.
Bueckers couldn’t hold back a joke when asked about the moment. She said she told Auriemma, “I told him I hated him.” But after a laugh, she talked about what Auriemma meant to her.
Connecticut Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma hugs guard Paige Bueckers (5) during the second half against the South Carolina Gamecocks of the national championship of the women’s 2025 NCAA tournament at Amalie Arena.
“I love that man like more than words can describe, and there’s a lot of stuff about him that I don’t, but it’s because he’s challenging me and making us all better in ways we never even knew we could,” Bueckers said. “He always has our back. That’s the thing. Sometimes it feels like he’s on you and he has nothing but bad things to say. But he always has belief. He always has your back and just the relationship that we have, I can’t even put in the words.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Paige Bueckers, Geno Auriemma share emotional hug in NCAA final
