Paige Bueckers shoots 5-word message after making history with UConn teammate Ashlynn Shade vs. Iowa State
Paige Bueckers has given a shoutout to teammate Ashlynn Shade after she was instrumental in helping the fourth-ranked UConn women defeat Iowa State on Tuesday. Not only did they win, the Huskies also set a program record for most 3-pointers made in a single game.
The Huskies shot 20-for-34 from beyond the arc, blitzing Iowa State 101-68 at the Mohegan Sun. Shade made seven triples, and Bueckers showed her some love on her Instagram story.
"Yeeest of Haws last night 🤠" Bueckers wrote, referencing the popular cowboy adage "Yeehaw," which has become Shade's nickname after the guard said that Luke Bryan was her favorite artist.
Paige Bueckers, Ashylnn Shade, Sarah Strong too strong for Iowa State
Paige Bueckers and the Huskies came out firing on Tuesday night, building a commanding 36-10 lead in the first quarter thanks to their sharp shooting from beyond the arc. Although they eased up slightly in the second quarter, UConn regained control with a strong second half.
By the fourth quarter, Geno Auriemma’s team had made history, setting a program record for 3-pointers in a game with 20.
Ashlynn Shade hit seven 3-pointers and had a career-high 27 points, while Sarah Strong led all scorers with 29 points.
Paige Bueckers also had an outstanding game, contributing 27 points while going 5 of 7 from deep and shooting 66.6% overall. The future WNBA star continues to live up to her reputation.
Kaitlyn Chen, Morgan Cheli and Allie Ziebell added key contributions to UConn's 101-68 victory.
The Huskies (10-1) will face JuJu Watkins and the seventh-ranked USC Trojans on Saturday, and there will be plenty of hype surrounding this game since it's a rematch from last season's Elite Eight.
UConn won that meeting thanks to a monster performance from Bueckers (28 points, 10 rebounds and six assists). For UConn to repeat its performance from last year, it may need to keep up its hot shooting from downtown.
UConn and USC will meet in the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut.