On a night when Caitlin Clark scored 32 points for Iowa and JuJu Watkins put up 28 points for USC, UConn coach Geno Auriemma highlighted his player, calling Huskies star Paige Bueckers the “best player in America.”
Auriemma’s comments followed No. 3 UConn’s 72-64 win over No. 6 Syracuse on Monday to advance to the Sweet 16 for its 30th straight NCAA Tournament, an event record. Bueckers posted a double-double in the win, scoring a game-high 32 points and adding 10 rebounds. She also contributed six assists, four steals and a block.
“We have the best player in America,” Auriemma said. “And, you know, just saying that because the numbers in this world of analytics, the numbers say that she is.
“And the whole stat sheet says that she is. And everybody that watched knows it, and we’re fortunate. And we get to go back to where it ended for us last year, and I think we’re a different team, different mindset, and we’re hoping for a different outcome.”
“We have the best player in America. And everyone that watched, knows it.”
🗣️ Geno on @paigebueckers1 ⬇️#MarchMadness x @UConnWBB pic.twitter.com/aRo2O8ImC5
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) March 26, 2024
Bueckers missed the entirety of the 2022-23 season after tearing her ACL in August 2022. UConn…
