UConn was on the ropes. The Huskies hadn’t missed a Sweet 16 since 1993, and it was starting to look like that decades long streak might come to a close.
Late in the fourth quarter of their 72-64 win in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament on Monday night, starting point guard Nika Muhl had fouled out and Syracuse had cut UConn’s lead to just two points with an 8-0 run. That’s when Paige Bueckers took control of the situation.
First, with just under two minutes to play, she sized up the defense at the top of the key, got to her spot in the mid-range and buried a jumper to push the Huskies’ lead back to four points. A minute later, down on the other end of the floor, she dove on a loose ball and wisely called timeout to get her team an extra possession. Then, on the ensuing play, she drew a triple team and made a perfect pass to KK Arnold, who buried a 3-pointer to seal the game.
Bueckers’ three game-saving moments were a microcosm of her brilliant overall performance. She finished with 32 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and four steals on 14-of-25 shooting to send UConn to the Sweet 16 for a record 30th consecutive year. In the process, she showed why she’ll be the No. 1…
 leads Huskies to another Sweet 16){kind=link}