“He called me a ball hog”: Paige Bueckers owns new role by Geno Auriemma and explains complete shift in mindset
After the UConn Huskies went through their first practice last week, Paige Bueckers opened up about her new role with the program. The star guard has worked with multiple trainers all across the nation this summer to refine her craft. Bueckers is asked to be more aggressive this season, which she worked on by consistently hitting the gym.
However, one of her new tendencies has gotten UConn coach Geno Auriemma to playfully mock the best player on his team.
"He called me ball hog," Bueckers said after UConn's first practice on Thursday. "He just called me a ball hog. So, I'm taking that as a compliment right now, honestly.
"A huge thing this summer was a complete shift in mindset. Obviously, having the game I did in the Final Four wasn't what I wanted to have, and I think it really set in and it really stung me in a different type of way where I had a reality check."
Auriemma is looking for Paige Bueckers, the National Player of the Year in 2021, to be more aggressive, even with two other players with adept point guard skills. Bueckers had 17 points (shooting 7 of 17) and three assists in 40 minutes as UConn lost 71-69 to Iowa in a national semifinal in April. It was her least efficient performance of the NCAA Tournament and the eighth worst of the season.
Part of the process is to regularly take charge of the ball and trust her skills to affect the offense. The change was visible in UConn's practice as Bueckers focused more on being consistent with high-volume attempts.
Paige Bueckers worked out with Stephen Curry and Jaylen Brown
One of Paige Bueckers' practice sessions was with NBA champion and Finals MVP Jaylen Brown and four-time regular season MVP Stephen Curry in September before Bueckers attended a WNBA game between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty.
Bueckers ran drills with the NBA stars. The Golden State Warriors guard is known for having one of the toughest workouts in the league, with a rumor that an NBA player once worked out with Stephen Curry and threw up before making it halfway through.
After the session, Paige Bueckers sat next to Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson. Her UConn teammate Azzi Fudd was seated near Curry on a different side of the court.