Breaking down the game of UConn’s Bueckers
Phenom’s been delivering for the No. 3 Huskies
At this point, what can’t she do?
You could probably find something to nitpick about, but you’d be wasting your time. Right now, Paige Bueckers is doing everything for UConn, and doing it exceptionally well.
“She’s just being Paige,” coach Geno Auriemma said following third-ranked UConn’s 87-58 victory over Marquette Friday in Milwaukee. “She’s being about as good a player as there is in the country right now.”
Bueckers poured in 30 points in three quarters, and became only the second freshman in program history with back-to-back 30point performances.
Let’s take a closer look at what’s been so special about Bueckers, and what it means for the Huskies.
WHAT’S STOOD OUT ABOUT BUECKERS?
If it seems like Bueckers is nearly automatic from the perimeter, it’s because she is. Bueckers shot 6-of-9 from 3-point range against Marquette, and is 19-of-25 over her last four games since returning from an ankle injury. Think about that for a second: 19-of-25.
Now you can see why Auriemma’s been so adamant about her needing to be more aggressive and less unselfish.
“I’ve been seeing it since September every day,” Auriemma said. “This is what it looks like every day at practice. When she shoots and it doesn’t go in, she gets yelled at. It’s like, ‘What’s your problem,’ which is crazy, right? … We think they’re all going in.”
For the season, Bueckers is 34-of-57(!) from beyond the arc. That mark of 59.6% leads the country and would shatter the school’s
single-season record of 49.7%, set by Sue Bird in 2000. She’s 28th in scoring (20.4).
It may be unrealistic to expect Bueckers to keep shooting at that blistering rate — remember, she’s been more accurate from 3 than from 2 (57.3%) — but we are talking about a special talent here.
“Her confidence is out of the roof,” freshman Nika Muhl said. “You can see it on the court, and in these past few games she’s been incredible on the offensive end. It helps us a lot. It’s incredible playing with her and having somebody that you can just get the ball to, knowing that she’s going to do something great with it. It’s incredible.”
HOW ARE TEAMS TRYING TO STOP HER?
Bueckers is on a roll — and defenses are starting to take notice.
Marquette tried to get physical with Bueckers, bumping her off screens, occasionally throwing multiple defenders her way.
“People are going to be more physical with me just because of my build,” noted the 5-foot-11 Bueckers. “I kind of look skinny. … I try not to let it get into my head because I do have that skinny build and people are going to want to push me around and knock me off my game in that way.
“I try to take pride in that, knowing they’re going to be physical with me.”
It obviously didn’t work much. Bueckers only got stronger as the game went on, scoring 17 of UConn’s 30 points in the third quarter. She was 6-of-7 from the floor and hit five 3s during that stretch.
And when the Golden Eagles were effective in slowing down Bueckers, it came at the expense of some high-percentage looks for others, particularly in the pickand-roll.
That aspect of UConn’s offense has been dangerous, and will continue to be, so long as the chemistry between Bueckers and her teammates grows.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR THE REST OF THE OFFENSE?
The Huskies’ offense has been flowing of late. They had 27 assists on 35 field goals versus Marquette, matching a season-high from Wednesday’s win over St. John’s. Against DePaul, they had 26.
Some of that is a credit to Bueckers. It goes without saying that assists are easier to come by when a player catches fire.
But it’s also a product of the four-guard lineup — Bueckers, Muhl, Evina Westbrook and Christyn Williams — that Auriemma has been running out.
“I think the more ball-handlers you have on the floor, the better it is for everybody,” Auriemma said. “E wants to distribute the ball, Nika wants to distribute the ball, Paige wants to distribute the ball, and Christyn is looking to score, which is her strength.
“Having that lineup does let everyone play to their strengths.”
Bueckers has developed a particularly strong rapport with Muhl, who likes to joke that they’re twins. Muhl, a pass-first point guard who thrives off the drive, assisted on five of Bueckers’ 12 field goals against Marquette.
“Nika, that’s her strength, is finding people, whether it’s getting to the basket and finding people, getting in the lane and finding people, drawing somebody just enough and finding them,” Auriemma said. “Those two spend a lot of time on the court together on their own, and they have a pretty good thing going.”