Geno Auriemma recalls Paige Bueckers silent period during final UConn season
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 5, 2026, 9:33 AM
Last updated Sep 5, 2026
UConn coach Geno Auriemma recently recounted a two-week period during the final season of Paige Bueckers when the player did not speak to him following a film session. The silence followed a difficult loss to the Tennessee Volunteers where Auriemma directed heavy criticism toward the guard. Despite rumors of friction, Auriemma described the quiet stretch as a productive period for their professional relationship. Bueckers responded by playing some of the highest-level basketball of her collegiate career before leading the Huskies to a 2025 NCAA Championship title. Shortly after the championship, the Dallas Wings selected Bueckers with the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft.
- •Geno Auriemma and Paige Bueckers worked together for five years at UConn.
- •Auriemma criticized Bueckers heavily after a loss to the Tennessee Volunteers.
- •Bueckers did not speak to Auriemma for two weeks following the criticism.
- •The Huskies won the 2025 NCAA Championship over the South Carolina Gamecocks.
- •The Dallas Wings drafted Bueckers as the No. 1 overall pick.
- 9:33 AMYahoo Sports — Why Geno Auriemma was ‘in heaven’ after Paige Bueckers’ two-week silence during UConn days
"Before becoming a star in the WNBA, Paige Bueckers was a crucial member of the UConn Huskies basketball program. Paige Bueckers spent her entire NCAA career while donning the UConn Huskies jersey under the leadership of legendary coach Geno Auriemma.
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