"Non chalant final boss": Paige Bueckers hypes up teammates with charismatic intro ahead of Final Four
UConn star Paige Bueckers led the No. 2-seeded Huskies to the national championship game with a comprehensive 85-51 win over the No. 1-seeded UCLA Bruins on Friday evening. Bueckers was not as dominant as she has been all tournament, registering 16.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 31 minutes of action.
Before the game, the ESPN Women's X account posted a clip of Bueckers introducing her teammates who would start the game by giving them creative titles.
"This is the UConn Huskies. Starting at No. 4, the best freshman in the country, Sarah Strong," Paige Bueckers said. "At shooting guard, everyone calls her the people's princess, Azzi Fudd. Our 6'5 Egyptian queen, Jana El Alfy. Our basketball genius, Kaitlyn Chen. And our head coach, the evil genius himself, Geno Auriemma. And last, you got the nonchalant final boss, Paige Bueckers."
Bueckers' teammates, Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong, ended up making the difference for the Huskies down the stretch against the Bruins. Fudd tallied 19.0 points and 1.0 assist, while Strong managed 22.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists.
Paige Bueckers hypes up team ahead of natty game
Paige Bueckers has had several near misses as a UConn player, leading the Huskies to four Final Fours in her career but always falling short of winning the national championship.
In a clip posted on X from the UConn dressing room after beating the UCLA Bruins, Bueckers gave a motivational speech to her teammates about the natty game and how to approach it.
"I still think we got another level to tap into, and I think that's what we save it for," Bueckers said. "We don't need any extra incentive. The game earlier this season (against South Carolina) means nothing. It's 0-0, the record's 0-0 and we're both trying to go 1-0.
"Get some sleep tonight, get some rest because the game is early on Sunday, so we'll need to be rested and recovered. We have 40 minutes to give everything we have in our entire souls and bodies."
The South Carolina Gamecocks are on their own quest to retain their national championship, a feat last accomplished by the UConn Huskies in 2016. They have also won five of the last seven clashes between the teams, but the Huskies ended their 71-game unbeaten run at the Colonial Life Arena in February, blowing them out 87-58 with Paige Bueckers tallying 12.0 points, 10.0 assists and 7.0 rebounds.