“She makes everybody around her better”: When Paige Bueckers’ Hopkins coach Brian Cosgriff described her as ultimate team player
Paige Bueckers, a little girl from Edina, Minnesota, has now become a household name and a sensation in women's basketball. Even her now-former coach Brian Cosgriff once praised her humble and learning attitude. Now in her final college year at the University of Connecticut, Bueckers has been hailed as the future face of the sport. She is a projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA draft.
Bueckers was playing for junior varsity at Hopkins High School, Minnesota when she was in seventh grade. Later, she made her freshman debut for Hopkins in 2016.
SLAM released a docuseries in 2020 highlighting Paige Bueckers' senior high school year, where her coach Brian Cosgriff described her as a team player who drives everyone around her to perform better.
"Paige, she's been dominant since eighth grade. I hope our staff said it, she makes everybody around her better," Brian said. "She's confident, but yet not cocky. She's humble, works incredibly hard, is coachable and cares about the entire program."
"It's not just about Paige. All she really cares about is the team getting better," he continued. "That's all she truly cares about. She calls this team her sister. So, Paige is the best we've had, I think the best the state's ever seen."
Paige Bueckers averaged 24.3 points, 5.4 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 4.7 steals per game as a junior, guiding Hopkins to Class 4A state championship.
Brian Cosgriff not surprised with Paige Bueckers' success at UConn
Coach Brian Cosgriff was not surprised by her achievements in college basketball at a powerhouse, like UConn. Before the Huskies' Final Four clash against Iowa in April, Cosgriff spoke with KARE 11 News and said that the All-American guard was always poised for greatness.
Cosgriff stated:
"I look forward to watching her play every night that I can," Brian said. "The best thing that we did coaching Paige was stay the hell out of her way. I mean, she was that good. She was a coach on the floor.
"She's gonna put about seven threes right in your eye and she's gonna drop 10 dimes," he added. "I've never seen anything like it from the high school standpoint. When we would play games, there would be 300 people waiting for her autograph."
Despite facing injury challenges, Bueckers continued to shine at UConn. She averaged 21.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.8 apg and 2.2 spg last season leading the Huskies to the Big East championship.