Geno Auriemma gives Paige Bueckers a hilarious reality check on her minutes restriction during UConn vs St John's
UConn Huskies star Paige Bueckers made her triumphant return to the starting lineup on Wednesday after missing the last two games with a knee sprain. Against the St. John's Red Storm, the senior sensation dropped 12 points, five rebounds and two steals in 23 minutes of action to help her team to the 71-45 drubbing.
But, even with her looking steady in her play on Jan. 15, she won't be coming back in full force immediately. Coach Geno Auriemma shared a hilarious story during the post-game presser where Bueckers assumed that she wasn't going to have any minutes restrictions for the fixture but instead, he gave her a harsh reality check.
"She said she wasn't (on any minutes restriction). She played 23 minutes. She said, 'I'm not on a minutes restriction.' I said, 'Well, actually you are. But, it will have nothing to do with your leg. It'll be everything (on) how you play, that's why I couldn't wait to get around the first day,'" Auriemma shared. (10:45)
"So, it ended up being like I was open for 20, 21, 22 (minutes). Maybe like 10, 11 minutes each half. So, I think we hit the mark pretty close," he added.
Bueckers is presumably in her fourth and final year under the tutelage of Auriemma and playing for the Huskies since she is expected to declare for the WNBA Draft later this year. As she works her way back from an untimely minor injury, expect the UConn coaching staff to closely monitor the progression of her minutes to its previous amount before her absence.
Now with a staggering 7-0 conference record, Bueckers will hope to find her footing as soon as possible to further extend her team's win streak. They'll host the Seton Hall Pirates on Sunday, Jan. 19, with the aim of nabbing Big East win No. 8.
Much like any player, Paige Bueckers needs time to return to full strength: Geno Auriemma
During the press conference, Geno Auriemma shared his observations regarding how Paige Bueckers was shaking off the rust in her first game back. But, he fully acknowledges that the 5'11 standout is imperfect much like any other player and will need more reps in to get back to her full potential.
"I never doubt what Paige can do to impact the game because I've seen it so many times. But, I also know she's not a robot where you just put her in, push the button, and everything happens automatically. But, I'm glad we had her back today and she'll be even better on Sunday. Let's just hope that's the last of this," Auriemma stated. (9:20)
Auriemma and the UConn Huskies are vying to bring back national championship glory to their program since they last won it in 2016. It'll also be special if they pull it off this campaign since this would be Bueckers' first and potentially only NCAA national title. It's still mid-January though, meaning the graduating guard has all the time to get back into her groove come March.