[131][132] She was the youngest member of the senior national team at the 2019 World Beach Games in Doha, Qatar, on a roster featuring WNBA players Napheesa Collier and Jackie Young. [17][18] She led her team in three-point shooting and ranked second in assists. [136], Bueckers stands 5feet 11inches (1.80m) and plays the point guard position. This leaves the Huskies with plenty of uncertainty and gaps to fill. Claire and Paige qualified for the race, while Natalie was sent home. Still, UConn will be without its best player for a long stretch of the season. Bueckers is a sophomore with the Huskies and is widely regarded as one of the best college basketball players in the country. [24][25], In January 2018, as a sophomore, Bueckers was sidelined with an ankle injury that had been hurting her for the first two months of the season. [35][36] She was one of three finalists for the Gatorade National Player of the Year award. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill). "Its time we stopped blaming the injuries, stop blaming fatigue, stop blaming tired," Auriemma said after UConn beat Xavier by nine. [159] In 2022, Bueckers was named to the Fortune 40 Under 40 list, which honors influential young people in business,[160] and The Athletic's College Sports 40 Under 40 list, which recognizes the most influential young people in the college sports industry. An MRI and CT scans revealed that she suffered a tibial plateau fracture with an estimated recovery period of six to eight weeks. [162], In November 2021, Bueckers signed her first two major endorsement deals. 10:11 am ET, 2023 NCAA Women's Tournament: Conference Tourney dates, Clark among leaders in WCBB player of the year race, Women's bracketology: Utah climbs to the top line, Women's Top 25: South Carolina's streak continues, Clark hits game-winner to lift Iowa over Indiana, NCAA makes first NIL ruling in Cavinder case at Miami. But I dont think you can., The best insights from the ultimate insiders, 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Punches thrown, three ejected in wild March Madness brawl, Iowa State kicks senior guard off team: Said something I regret, Alabama making themselves March Madness villains, Fordham sets sights on first Big Dance in more than 30 years, ead the Huskies to their 13th consecutive Final Four. [134], Since high school, Bueckers has received considerable attention as one of the top players of her generation. And if you can give me a better argument, then I would say Ill vote for them, too. [4] Then she moved up to racing in Super Late Models. 6 Louisville on Sunday and a rematch at No. Bueckers initially suffered the non-contact injury in the final minute of UConns win over Notre Dame on Dec. 5. I dont think youre going to get a different answer out of me. Fox News Flash top headlines for December 5. Bueckers was informed she won the award by coach Geno Auriemma during a team video session on Monday. Thanks for contacting us. ", UConn head coach Geno Auriemma on Bueckers after her 31-point game in a win over No. The best insights from the ultimate insiders, 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Coach calls out ESPN for not inviting best womens college basketball player to ESPYs, UConn back in national championship for first time in six years, UConn star leads program to 14th straight Final Four in wild double OT win, UConn womens hoop star cleared to return vs. St. Johns, Knicks-Celtics game shows what NBA is missing, NHL, players union failing in this important area, MLB's rule changes will only bring needless new degree of confusion, The Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast, The Show with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman, Amazin' But True: A NY Mets Baseball Podcast, Gangs All Here: A NY Jets Football Podcast, Ariana Madix, Tom Sandoval have awkward moment amid cheating scandal, Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave. 1 South Carolina on Jan. 27. All other winners have been juniors or seniors since the AP started honoring players in 1995. [58] On November 13, Bueckers signed a National Letter of Intent with UConn. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM, Teammates gather around Connecticut's Paige Bueckers in their game against Notre Dame, Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021, in Storrs, Connecticut. Bueckers first turned heads with the Huskies as a freshman during the 2020-21 season, in which she averaged 20 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists over 29 games. A 6-8 week recovery timeline sets up Bueckers for potential return in late January or early February. [6] She attempted her first ever NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race driving the No. Well miss her presence on the court, but shell do everything she can to still lead and help her teammates this season. [23] She led Hopkins to a 311 record, its only loss coming against Elk River High School at the Class4A state championship. [5][21], Bueckers made her freshman season debut for Hopkins High School on November 25, 2016, recording 28 points, five steals and four assists in a 7434 win over Osseo Senior High School. So thats the goal.. [138] An adept passer and ball handler,[139] Bueckers has described herself as a "pass-first" player. [78] She was recognized as MOP of the River Walk Regional. ", "Hopkins 8th grader Paige Bueckers attracts attention from colleges and Lynx coach", "Timeout! She worked out yesterday and said she felt good. [87] Bueckers shared two major NCAA Division I freshman of the year awards with Caitlin Clark of Iowathe Tamika Catchings Award, presented by the USBWA,[88] and the WBCA Freshman of the Year award. There would be a time, coach Geno Auriemma said, when the most talented player in the . Decker, Paige Dunbar, Ashley Ferrara, Janelle Gahm, Abby Graham, Rachelle Haddad, Jamie Kennedy, Aurora Kennedy, Lynn Leonoff, Jaimie Mandl, Hanna Marchin, Taylor Martini, Kate McGauley, Patricia Mock, Stephanie Murray, Madi Raines, Jackie Staenz, Phoebe Tarrant, Gretchen Tomimoto, Tara Yip-Chuck, Krista Go The Huskies walked away with a 91-87 win after surviving double overtime -- the first time ever in an Elite Eight game -- against the No. [172] On July 13, 2021, she filed for a trademark on the nickname for use on athletic apparel, such as shirts, pants, jackets, footwear, hats and uniforms. Its also just exciting to have her around as a teammate, having on the bench, telling us stuff. A little while ago, she was months away.. tournaments after that. Paige Bueckers meeting with doctors to determine next steps in recovery, UConn WBB Weekly: Geno is tired of excuses. But (the meeting is to figure out) when can she start being incorporated into some kind of workouts.. Market data provided by Factset. Weve made a concerted effort in the last three or four games to get her some rest during the game., I dont have an answer for why she was in the game, he added. Bueckers sophomore year got off to a strong start, though was derailed in December after she sustained a non-contact knee injury that required surgery. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. At Hopkins High School in Minnetonka, Minnesota, Bueckers was ranked as the number one recruit in her class by ESPN and received national high school player of the year honors. "I like our chances," Auriemma said after the game. All rights reserved. The following week, Bueckers underwent surgery for an anterior tibial plateau fracture and a lateral meniscus tear on her left leg. So, Fudd is now UConn's only double-digit scorer returning. Timpview won 26-7. Chasing Perfection: Is it time to be worried about UConn? [2][3] She started playing basketball at age five. [73] On February 27, Bueckers posted 20 points, a program-record 14 assists and seven rebounds in a 9768 victory over Butler. Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital. Bueckers is one of four Huskies currently injured, along with the freshman Azzi Fudd (foot), the sophomore Nika Muhl (foot) and the junior Aubrey Griffin (back, ankle). Gambling problem? UConn star Paige Bueckers appeared to suffer a scary non-contact injury on Sunday during the Huskies win over Notre Dame. [121], In addition to her athletic honors, Bueckers was again named to the university's dean's list for her first semester as a sophomore. G 5'11" Jr. Hopkins, Minn. Hopkins HS. Im sure after todays practice, shell say she feels good.. Shorthanded at times, the Our Lady of Lourdes High School girls basketball team took a big lead and held on Friday to open its season with a 62-56 triumph over John F. Kennedy Catholic in the Richa Second Five: Derrick McCauley, Waubay;. She never wants to come out. competed in sixmeets with nine top 10 finishes. UConn star Paige Bueckers suffered a torn ACL and is expected to be out for the entire 2022-23 season. It could happen in practice. [75] On March 8, Bueckers recorded 23 points, six rebounds and four assists in a 7339 win over Marquette at the Big East tournament title game. Bueckers is the first-ever freshman . [37] Toward the end of the season, she suffered from a stress reaction in her right leg due to overuse. Without Nelson-Odada, a 6-foot-5 forward, the team loses its leader in shooting percentage (59.5%) and rebounding (7.5 per game) from a season ago. It took her a few weeks to get back to the level she was at before. She has raced in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and Xfinity Series and was a 2014 NASCAR Drive for Diversity participant. Preview: No. She'd already been playing for a couple of years, often teaming with kids older than her, and maxing out her rec. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. [126] Bueckers led the United States to a gold medal after recording eight points and ten assists versus France in the final. What does that mean in terms of going forward?, Not like shell play in the Villanova game Wednesday night, he added later. My Blog paige decker basketball 2 at the time, grabbed a 73-54 victory against No. She had 22 points, four rebounds and four assists in a win over Notre Dame. [66], "I think the most impressive thing about Paige is that she plays at the same pace the entire game. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. [170][171], Bueckers' scoring success has earned her the nickname "Paige Buckets". Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. permitting college athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness, Bueckers last month became the first college athlete to sign an endorsement deal with Gatorade. It wasn't how UConn wanted to wrap up its campaign, but the sky was the limit for the program because of what Bueckers accomplished as a freshman and what she could be capable of with another year of experience under her belt. The surgery at UConn Health repaired the anterior tibial plateau fracture and lateral meniscus tear that Bueckers, a 5-foot-11 sophomore at UConn, sustained in the teams home game on Dec. 5 against Notre Dame. We've received your submission. 1 South Carolina in OT", "Record-setting day from Paige Bueckers, strong game from Aaliyah Edwards help UConn women close out Butler, 9768", "Bueckers Sweeps Big East Player, Freshman of the Year Honors", "Paige Bueckers, UConn Huskies beat Marquette Golden Eagles for Big East women's basketball title", "Paige Bueckers helps UConn rout High Point 10259 in NCAA opener", "UConn reaches 13th straight Final Four, beating Baylor 6967", "UConn's Paige Bueckers adds another two honors to her historic freshman season", "Third-seeded Arizona stuns No. [148], She has hosted a charity basketball clinic called "Buckets with Bueckers" for young athletes in Minnesota and Montana. She returned later in the season and averaged 14.6 points, four rebounds and 3.9 assists en route to leading UConn to the national championship game. [92] Analysts have considered Bueckers' freshman season to be among the best in UConn and NCAA history. [2] When Natalie was 9 years old, Chuck bought her a kart and he bought one for Paige too. Shes a pain in the ass to have on the bench because all she does is complain about why shes not playing, he said. She became the first player in program history to have three straight 30-point games. All Rights Reserved. [3] The Decker family raced snowmobiles against the Danica Patrick family during the 1970s. Getting to the Final Four my freshman year and the national championship last year, the only thing left to do is win it. The official 2022-23 Women's Basketball Roster for the University of Connecticut Huskies . She was the first freshman to earn the Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy, AP Player of the Year and USBWA Player of the Year. [5][6][7] Bueckers became friends with future National Basketball Association (NBA) player Jalen Suggs while in elementary school. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. She came off the bench for the first time in her career and scored eight points, playing only 13 minutes due to a minutes restriction, in a 9338 victory. Bueckers was born on October 20, 2001, in Edina, Minnesota, and grew up in neighboring St. Louis Park. Hoya guard Kennedy Fauntleroy was named the Big East Freshman of the Year on Thursday as she led all conference freshmen with 11.3 points per game. UConns star guard became the first freshman ever to win The Associated Press womens basketball player of the year award Wednesday. After contacting coaches and athletic directors from every high school in Utah, the Deseret News has compiled the following list of the estimated 777 seniors from the 2019 graduating class who received an athletic and/or academic scholarship to play college sports. In her first game back, Bueckers came off the bench and registered eight points on 4-for-5 shooting in 12 minutes. [6] Decker planned another attempt at Iowa Speedway on June 19, 2015;[6] this deal, however, did not come together. on Saturday in Newark. 24 Notre Dame, and Bueckers' 22-point performance led the way. Natalie's father (and Paige's uncle) is Chuck Decker, the former owner of the Eagle River Derby Track which hosts the World Championship Snowmobile Derby.[8]. "The first thing that goes through your mind is the worst thing," Auriemma said. 1 Ineligible for series points. UConn was up 18 points with about 39 seconds remaining in the game when her leg appeared to buckle while she was bringing up the ball. Chasing Perfection: Is it time to be worried about UConn? UConns regular season ends Feb. 27, with the Big East and N.C.A.A. [107] During Bueckers' absence, UConn had a 154 record and briefly fell out of the top 10 in the AP Poll for the first time since 2005. Legal Statement. Decker returned in 2016, with her sister Claire Decker, and her cousin Natalie Decker competing in the Martinsville race. UConn star Paige Bueckers appeared to suffer a scary non-contact injury on Sunday during the Huskies' win over Notre Dame. [155][156][157] On April 4, 2022, her Instagram account reached one million followers,[158] making her reportedly the first women's college basketball player to achieve the mark. Media at the game described the crowd as going silent. UConn women's basketball star Paige Bueckers is expected to miss 6-8 weeks after suffering a tibial plateau fracture in her left knee during Sunday's win over Notre Dame. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. Griffin, a 6-foot-1 forward, dealt with a handful of injuries and missed all of last season, undergoing back surgery in January. Bueckers only had four points in the first half, but she ended the night with a game-high 27 points -- with 15 of those coming after regulation. Paige is obviously an amazing basketball player but shes a better person and teammate and its really unfortunate that this has happened to her. [34] Bueckers averaged 24.4 points, 5.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 4.6 steals per game, repeating as Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year and Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year. 6 Louisville on Sunday and a rematch at No. Women's College Basketball Paige Bueckers injury updates Paige Bueckers meeting with doctors to determine next steps in recovery In other injury news, Dorka Juhsz will return from a foot. [125] Bueckers played at the 2018 FIBA Under-17 Women's World Cup in Minsk, Belarus. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. [79] At the Final Four, UConn was upset by third-seeded Arizona, 6959, and finished the season with a 282 record. National championship, thats it, she said. [2] Decker became the first woman and rookie to win in the series at the Golden Sands Speedway event. Star guard and former National Player of the Year Paige Bueckers will miss the entire 2022-23 season due to a torn ACL in . UConn will play at Oregon on Jan. 17, at South Carolina on Jan. 27 and against Tennessee on Feb. 6. Bueckers registered 14 points and six rebounds against the Gamecocks, but she was the only UConn player to finish in double figures. I was there with my teammates and coaching staff and to get that award with them around me makes you be so grateful for the position Im in.. Dorka hasnt practiced all week so shes just kind of getting back into the swing of things, little bit at a time, Auriemma said. With just seconds left in the game, Bueckers was dribbling up the court, stumbled and took an awkward fall. Bracketology: Huskies stock rising after dispatching Providence, UConn mens hockey survives Alaska Anchorage in overtime, 4-3, Takeaways: Huskies offense shines in beatdown of No. [38][39] In August 2019, she was named AAU Player of the Year by Prep Girls Hoops. She has raced in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and Xfinity Series and was a 2014 NASCAR Drive for Diversity participant. [130], In October 2018, Bueckers won a gold medal for the United States in 3x3 basketball at the Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, helping her team win all seven of its games. The Huskies' 2021-22 season opened with Arkansas, and this time UConn was able to turn it around and get a 95-80 win against the Razorbacks. Getty Images Former UConn greats Maya Moore and Breanna Stewart both won the award as sophomores. Staying healthy will be more important than ever for the Huskies. UConn had to beat Creighton on Wednesday without its head coach after Auriemma stayed back in the locker room due to a non-COVID illness. It can happen anytime. Decker was named as a NASCAR Drive for Diversity driver in 2014. I mean, that could happen anytime. [1], On August 3, 2022, UConn announced that Bueckers had torn the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left knee during a pick-up game on August 1 and would miss the entire 202223 season. For other uses, see, USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year, Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year, USBWA Women's National Player of the Year, 2017 FIBA Under-16 Women's Americas Championship, 2019 FIBA Under-19 Women's Basketball World Cup, allowed student-athletes to be compensated, FIBA Under-19 World Cup All-Tournament Team, "Paige Bueckers (USA)'s profile FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup 2019", "Something special from the get-go: Paige Bueckers, Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year", "For Hopkins' basketball phenom Paige Bueckers, 'The sky is the limit', "Paige Bueckers Is the Future of Basketball", "Gonzaga's Jalen Suggs, UConn's Paige Bueckers and the friendship that fuels March Madness", "Paige Bueckers, Chet Holmgren pulled up to watch Jalen Suggs in Las Vegas", "Hopkins star Paige Bueckers can go anywhere maybe even to the Gophers", "Bueckers: Balling before social media, the UConn legacy, learning from Taurasi and Irving", "UConn's Paige Bueckers facing an idol in Battle 4 Atlantis opener, Minnesota coach Lindsay Whalen", "Can this one super-prospect revive the greatest dynasty in sports? "They called Bev . View the profiles of people named Paige Decker. [152], Bueckers is represented by agent Lindsay Kagawa Colas of Wasserman. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill). [114] On March 28, at the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, Bueckers led her team to a 9187 double-overtime win over top-seeded NC State, as UConn reached its 14th consecutive Final Four. competed in sixmeets with 11top 10 finishes. While she wasnt wearing her knee brace during part of UConns practice open to the media on Saturday, Bueckers still wasnt moving around all that well. [108] The team's winning streaks of 240 games against unranked teams and 169 games against conference opponents ended in losses to Georgia Tech and Villanova, respectively. [69] Late in the game, Bueckers sprained her ankle, causing her to miss the next contest against Georgetown. Bueckers still has more healing physically but from what her coaches and teammates can see, shes back to her usual self after going through the range of emotions that comes with suffering a major injury. [5][11] She grew up supporting the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA. Now when Paige and the rest of our players do come back, theres more people in the party instead of outside hoping to get in and feel like they belong here and can contribute not just when have to, but theyll be able to contribute as part of the natural flow of our offense., UConns Paige Bueckers to Miss at Least Eight Weeks After Surgery, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/15/sports/ncaabasketball/paige-bueckers-uconn-surgery.html. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. Going into their final game of the season, the Huskies are looking for their fifth consecutive win. UConn has been an established powerhouse for a long while now with 11 national championships, but until earlier this year, the Huskies hadn't reached the title game since 2016. [12][33][55] During her senior season, Star Tribune columnist Chip Scoggins compared her influence in the state to that of Lindsay Whalen, writing, "A generation of girlsnow young womenthroughout the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota grew up idolizing [Whalen] as a basketball star. Preview: No. [13] By that time, she was also playing year-round with North Tartan, an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) program competing in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League, a national circuit. [109][110], Bueckers was cleared to return against St. John's on February 25, 2022. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. 2 UConn to win over No. Bueckers missed most of her sophomore season with a left knee injury but led her team to the national championship game. She scored a game-high 27 points on 10-15 from the field, including 15 points in the two overtime periods (4-5 from the field and 6-6 from the free-throw line), and was named MOP of the Bridgeport Regional. [32][33] Hopkins finished the season with a 320 record. The Huskies earn their first lopsided win in over a month. Name one player that has taken a team this young to where we are today, UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. Bueckers, who is from Edina, Minnesota, is averaging 20.1 points, 5.9 assists and 4.8 rebounds this season. [122] On September 1, Bueckers announced she would return to UConn for the 202324 season instead of declaring for the 2023 WNBA draft, for which she is age-eligible. As for Bueckers, she has made it clear that she is already working on what she believes will be "one hell of a comeback.". [166] On June 13, Bueckers announced a partnership with Crocs. She passed peacefully in bed at home in Spokan Italics Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. [6] Decker received a call from Mike Harmon Racing at New Smyrna Speedway during the World Series of Stock Car Racing within the Daytona Speedweeks to see if she was interested to race in one of their trucks. In seven games, she averaged 9.7 points, 4.7 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game, leading the tournament in assist-to-turnover ratio at 4.13. Check out Paige Decker's high school sports timeline including game updates while playing basketball at Blessed Sacrament-Huguenot High School from 2022 through this year. [91] In July 2021, she won the Best Female College Athlete ESPY Award. [3][4] As a child, she also played Little League Baseball as a catcher, as well as football and soccer, but focused on basketball by first grade. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. No. On Sunday, Bueckers will meet with UConns team doctors as well as her surgeon to determine what the next steps are in her recovery, which will set a more clear and definitive timeline for her return. [7] Her father also began a new relationship and later had a son, Drew. Although UConn lost Nelson-Odada and Williams, a healthy Bueckers alongside Fudd seemed capable of lifting the team to similar heights in 2022-23. [116][117] In a 6449 loss to top-seeded South Carolina at the national championship game,[118] Bueckers was the only UConn player to score in double digits as she posted 14 points and six rebounds, and was named to the Final Four All-Tournament Team. [14][15] Bueckers grew four inches in the year before her eighth-grade season. I kind of had a premonition that that first quarter was going to go the way it did. [10] Bueckers drew inspiration from NBA players LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, and Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird. [163] The second deal was with Gatorade, who signed her as its first college athlete. "[56], Bueckers was a five-star recruit and ranked the number one player in the 2020 class by ESPN. [41] Bueckers sometimes wore a walking boot as a preventative measure, was limited in practice and missed the first game of the state tournament. While she will continue to wear Nike apparel in games due to UConn's contract with the company, she will wear other brands while promoting StockX off the court. Bueckers ended her sophomore campaign with averages of 14.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 54.4% from the field in 17 games. In fact, UConn should have everyone except Bueckers available to play including Caroline Ducharme, who took a shot to the head late in the win over Creighton and didnt return for just the second time since November. To get a reward and find something positive in these times, you cherish them.