"Chet or Odell?" - UConn's Paige Bueckers stunned by OKC star's insane catch and shoot buzzer-beater
UConn star Paige Bueckers reacted to Chet Holmgren's impressive catch and shoot at the end of the first quarter of the OKC Thunder's game against the Dallas Mavericks. Bueckers even asked her followers on social if Holmgren did it better than Odell Beckham Jr.
In a post on her X account, the UConn star was in awe of Holmgren's play with 1.4 seconds left in the first quarter. Jaylin Williams threw an impressive outlet pass to the Gonzaga product, who caught the ball and hit a turnaround 3-point shot at the buzzer.
"Chet or Odell???" Bueckers asked.
Chet Holmgren's catch was impressive considering how difficult it is to catch the ball from the three-quarter length of the court. Paige Bueckers likened it to Odell Beckham Jr.'s legendary catch against the Dallas Cowboys in the 2014 NFL season when he was a rookie with the New York Giants.
Bueckers' question is interesting considering the mini-feud Austin Rivers is having with the NFL players. Rivers, who has been a free agent for more than a year now, claimed on "The Pat McAfee Show" recently that there could be 30 NBA players who could succeed in the NFL, but there are no NFL players who can do it in the NBA.
"Where the best athletes in the world are, that's us. I can take 30 players right now in the NBA and throw them in the NFL. You cannot take 30 NFL players and put them in the NBA," Rivers said.
Why did Paige Bueckers return to UConn?
Paige Bueckers shocked people when she decided to return to UConn and not declare for the WNBA draft. Bueckers, who is coming off two injury-riddled seasons, was finally healthy and took the NCAA by storm. She led the Huskies to the Final Four, losing to Caitlin Clark and Iowa.
Bueckers would have been a top pick behind Clark in this year's draft and could have been battling Cameron Brink for the No. 2 spot. However, the 22-year-old guard wants to play one more year at UConn even though she already graduated last month.
"Just the family camaraderie here, just loving it here, loving my teammates, loving my coaches, me not having the four years that I planned on, not being able to play as much.
"I just feel like I'm not done yet here. I feel like God is still writing my story here. I'm just blessed to be a part of this program, and I never want it to end, " Bueckers said. [H/T ESPN]
If Paige Bueckers stays healthy next season, she will likely end up as the top draft pick in the 2025 WNBA draft. Stanford's Kiki Iriafen is also another top talent in the class, so it will likely come down to how they would perform in next year's tournament.