NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament - National Championship - Source: Getty

Paige Bueckers pens heartfelt farewell note to UConn Huskies with throwback title moments: "I wouldn’t trade it for the world"

Modified Apr 23, 2025 03:05 GMT

When Paige Bueckers led the UConn Huskies to a national title earlier this month, she officially closed the chapter on her storied college career. On Tuesday, she penned an emotional farewell to the college program that helped her become an internationally renowned athlete.

In a lengthy post on Instagram, the Dallas Wings rookie looked back at her time in Storrs with heartfelt gratitude:

"UConn Nation, where do I even begin. These past 5 years have been some of the most rewarding, challenging and Blessed years of my life," Bueckers wrote. "From the relationships that will last a lifetime, memories and experiences I’ll never forget, and a growing in Faith that has changed my life."

Bueckers' UConn career, of course, was as "challenging" as it was "rewarding."

In December 2021, just as her sophomore season with the Huskies was getting started, she sustained a tibial plateau fracture and a lateral meniscus tear in the dying seconds of a blowout game. Then, during a pickup game in August 2022, she suffered a torn ACL that caused her to miss the entire 2022-23 season.

Still, Bueckers’ ascent to greatness would not be derailed. She went on to have two more prolific seasons at UConn, collecting multiple individual accolades and capping off her college career with a national title win.

Bueckers also thanked her teammates and the UConn program staff for extending "support and love" throughout her time at the university.

"Storrs, Connecticut will always be my second home and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I’m forever indebted and all I can say is THANK YOU."

Paige Bueckers draws support from former teammates as she posts farewell to UConn

After Bueckers posted her farewell to UConn, several of her former Huskies teammates expressed their support in the comments section.

"forever bleed blue Pskii," Aaliyah Edwards commented.

"Love You Boogers," KK Arnold wrote.

"I [love] P!!!" Ashlynn Shade said.

Aaliyah Edwards and KK Arnold express their support for Paige Bueckers. Credit: Bueckers/IG

Ashlynn Shade sends love to Paige Bueckers. Credit: Bueckers/IG

In the case of Aubrey Griffin and Morgan Cheli, they let the emojis do the talking:

Aubrey Griffin and Morgan Cheli react to Paige Bueckers' post with emojis. Credit: Bueckers/IG

Though Bueckers bids farewell to a loving fanbase, she’ll be walking into another one, as the Dallas Wings community warmly welcomed her on the night she was drafted into the WNBA.

About the author

Simoun Victor Redoblado is an NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda with over 12 years of experience writing for publications such as Collider, ALL-STAR Magazine, and Sir Charles in Charge.

Simoun has a bachelor's degree in Secondary Education, Major in English and Minor in journalism. Thanks to the journalism courses that he took, Simoun understood the fundamentals of journalistic storytelling in the context of sports writing.

Passionate for the UP Fighting Maroons, Simoun is a fan of the NBA, PBA, UAAP, and FIBA.
His childhood team was the Chicago Bulls and Simoun was a longtime supporter of the Houston Rockets because his friends would say he looked like Yao Ming.

Simoun loves the systematic, tactical movement of the ball and the players, the stories behind each individual competing on the hardcourt and most of all, how basketball is a sport for life and all its struggles and lessons.

A father of two, Simoun spends his free time with his kids.

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