When fourth-grader Paige Bueckers' AAU coach compared her to 5x NBA champ Magic Johnson
Paige Bueckers' knack for basketball was spotted way before she became a 5-star recruit in the 2020 class. She won multiple Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year awards and began receiving college offers in eighth grade.
Sports outlets recognized her as a generational talent, recruiters labeled her as the top pick in the nation, and USA Basketball groomed her to be a leader on the international stage.
However, one of the best compliments for a young Paige Bueckers came from Tara Starks, her coach when she was in fourth grade at the Minnesota Metro Stars.
"She’s doing Magic Johnson type stuff,” Mirin Fader from the Ringer revealed Starks' remark in her latest release.
As a 5-foot-11 point guard in high school, Paige Bueckers was known for her quickness, creativity with the ball and ability to handle pressure. However, the most sought-after skillset in her arsenal was her ability to see the floor like no other. It was also one of the main reasons good players wanted to team up with her.
Full-court passes for easy buckets, lay-in lobs in traffic and no-look dimes in transition were staple highlights of her games.
Paige Bueckers’ skill set allowed her to play all backcourt positions in high school. She played four years for Hopkins High School, where she was recognized by the national team recruiters.
Bueckers finished high school averaging 19 points, 5.4 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.9 steals.
Alongside the 4A state championship, she entered college with several PoY awards from reputed outlets, Minnesota’s Miss Basketball honor and gold medals (3x3 and FIBA U19 World Cup).
Geno Auriemma felt Paige Bueckers was born to play basketball
Paige Bueckers believes she modeled her game after Diana Taurasi. So, UConn was automatically a top college contender for Bueckers. However, the strongest nail was the potential for her to create a long lasting impact on the university.
"When I picked a college, I wanted a school where I can make an impact right away," she said after committing to UConn in 2019.
Regardless, Bueckers had grown up being a UConn Huskies fan. She also believed Geno Auriemma's coaching would maximise her potential. On the other hand, Auriemma believed that Bueckers was a natural hooper and was born to play basketball.
"There are kids who play basketball, and then there are basketball players. She is a basketball player. Born to be a basketball player. Everything she does, she’s a natural,” Auriemma said in December 2019.
Bueckers and Geno Auriemma are currently in the last phase of their co-leadership. The guard extended her WNBA dreams this summer to a final re-run in Connecticut, aspiring to lift the NCAA trophy before she steps into the big league.