NEED TO KNOW
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Paige Bueckers shared with PEOPLE what she told her former UConn teammates after their loss to South Carolina in the women’s Final Four semifinal game on April 3
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The Dallas Wings star also revealed that she still has a “close bond” with many of the players on the team
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Bueckers won the NCAA women’s basketball championship with UConn last April before being selected No. 1 in the 2025 WNBA Draft
Paige Bueckers showed up for the UConn Huskies in more ways than one.
The Dallas Wings star, 24, supported her former team in Phoenix last Friday after UConn fell 62-48 to the South Carolina Gamecocks in the women’s Final Four semifinal game, and is now sharing with PEOPLE the words of encouragement she told them after the loss.
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“Yeah, I went to go visit them and just tell them how proud I was of them,” Bueckers told PEOPLE exclusively.
Paige Bueckers #5 of the Dallas Wings.
Credit: Michael Reaves/Getty
Bueckers, a former standout at UConn who helped lead the team to the 2025 NCAA women’s basketball championship in April 2025 before being selected first overall by the Wings in the WNBA Draft later that month, shared words of wisdom drawn from her own experiences.
“I mean, I’ve been there,” she said. “I’ve come up short and it’s pretty disappointing, but just to know how great of a season that they had and a great career that the seniors had, and that you can use it as motivation to come back even better.”
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This year marked the first time since graduating that Bueckers viewed the tournament from a different perspective. And to no surprise, she wanted to be out there with her former team.
Throwback of Paige Bueckers of the UConn Huskies in April 2024.
Credit: Brian Murphy/Icon Sportswire/Getty
“It’s been fun,” she said. “I’ve had FOMO for sure and just missing being out there with the squad, but it’s been fun to support them, fun to just watch them have so much success. And yeah, it’s definitely been interesting watching from a different perspective.”
Bueckers, who is dating UConn senior Azzi Fudd, added, “I stay in communication with them all the time, constantly texting, FaceTiming — and I got to visit a couple of times back at school, so always stay connected, always staying there for each other. We just have a great bond.”
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In the spirit of the game, the Wings star even revived her signature double Dutch braids in an attempt to bring some good luck. However, now she has a different perspective on the ‘do, which she has notably nixed from her gameday looks since going pro.
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Paige Bueckers #5 and Azzi Fudd #35 of the UConn Huskies in March 2025,
Credit: Steph Chambers/Getty
“Honestly, I just wanted to bring it back because I was hoping it would bring good vibes for the UConn game. It was my first Final Four as an alum. And so I just wanted to feel like I was still a part of the team, and I was still here. So I think that’s basically the premise of why I did it,” she said.
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“I don’t think actually anybody will ever see them again,” she continued of her braids. “Because we lost.”
While Huskies’ loss snapped their 54-game winning streak, the Gamecocks went on to play against UCLA in the NCAA women’s national championship game on April 5. UCLA came out on top, winning 79-51 to secure the title.
Read the original article on People
