The UConn Huskies dominated from start to finish en route to a rout of the South Carolina Gamecocks on the NCAA’s biggest stage. Following their impressive 82-59 victory at Amalie Arena, NBA star Kevin Durant had a strong comment about the Huskies’ big three: Bueckers, Azzi Fudd, and Sarah Strong.
There’s a new sheriff in women’s college basketball, and that title now belongs to the program in Storrs. The Huskies dismantled the Gamecocks, extending UConn’s championship streak after the men’s back-to-back titles in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns. This time, it was the women’s turn to deliver the silverware for the students and fans in Mansfield.
In a long-awaited rematch of the 2021 March Madness final, UConn and South Carolina met on the grand stage once again—but this time, Bueckers and company quenched their thirst for revenge.
The Huskies’ beatdown of the Gamecocks made waves across college basketball—and even in the big leagues. Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant wasn’t immune to the buzz, sharing a powerful comment about the stars on Geno Auriemma’s roster.
Kevin Durant #35 of the Phoenix Suns reacts after hitting a three point basket during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers
“Azzi [Fudd] is just surgical… Paige [Bueckers] is just an all around monster,” Kevin Durant said, via his X account. “Sarah Strong, my goodness, how did you get so good so early???“
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In safe hands
As Bueckers moves on to the WNBA, the Huskies will keep Fudd and Strong among other top talents on the team, and will vie to repeat during the 2025-26 NCAA campaign. Auriemma isn’t going anywhere, either, so UConn will be a force to be reckoned with next season, and Bueckers has the utmost confidence in them.
“This team is in great hands,” Paige Bueckers said during the trophy presentation, per ESPN. “I’m not worried about them at all, oviously the coachingstaff speaks for itself. We got the blueprint now, we know how to do it, we know what it takes to get back here, and they got a whole lot of heart, passion, and faith. I’ve got nothing but trust in them.”
Bueckers’ message for Auriemma
Auriemma has seen immense talent come and go in the NCAA and during his time at the helm of UConn’s women’s basketball program. However, he had never seen anything quite like Bueckers enter the league. As Bueckers bid farewell to her years in Mansfield in the best way possible, she left a special message for her coach.
Azzi Fudd #35 of the UConn Huskies speaks to the media during a press conference after beating the South Carolina Gamecocks 82-59 to win the National Championship of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at Amalie Arena on April 06, 2025 in Tampa, Florida.
“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, per USA Today. “He always has our back. That’s the thing.
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“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.”
Write her off, she writes history
Bueckers has been through the wringer during her college basketball career, battling severe injuries that placed major obstacles in her path. However, the 23-year-old embraced every setback, using it as fuel for her championship hunger—something she finally satisfied on April 6 at Amalie Arena.
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“If I could say one thing, it would be to stand firm and [be] who you are, there’s a lot of people who write you off, there’s a lot of narratives that can be put to try and put you in a box,” Paige Bueckers stated postgame. “Tell you: you’ve got to do this, got to be more like this player, more like that player, stay firm in who you are.“
