Paige Bueckers ran off the court at Spokane Arena with a smile splitting her face and a Final Four hat perched atop her head. She waved to the crowd and headed for the UConn locker room.
The second-seeded Huskies had just beaten No. 1 seeded USC on Monday night behind Bueckers’ 31 points. Little girls shrieked and chanted her name alongside their mothers. Fans wore her famous No. 5 jersey. One held a sign saying she’d woken at 3 a.m. to fly to Washington to see Bueckers play. Another waved an American flag bearing an image of Bueckers’ face.
“Yeah, I don’t get it. I don’t get it,” Huskies coach Geno Auriemma quipped, because if he doesn’t rib his superstar, who else will?
“But it’s crazy.”
This is the orbit Bueckers occupies. With her must-see highlights (including a career-high 40 points in the Sweet 16), 2.2 million Instagram followers and NIL deals with companies such as Gatorade, she’s one of the most beloved players her sport has ever seen. The most famous ponytail in college hoops.
Paige Bueckers in Spokane:
– 35.5 PPG
– 55.6 FG%
– 62.5 3FG%
– 4.5 RPG
– 3.5 APG
– 2.0 BPG
– 3.5 SPGand that’s why she’s your Spokane Region 4 Most Outstanding Player pic.twitter.com/chMguMAjfY
— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) April 1, 2025
But with…
