Hyped UConn freshman Paige Bueckers turns in fantastic performance in her debut
Paige Bueckers entered the University of Connecticut with major expectations. In her first taste of game action, Bueckers more than backed up that hype.
Bueckers turned in a fantastic performance in her debut as the UConn dominated UMass Lowell 79-23 on Saturday. Bueckers, a guard, finished with 17 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals. Only two other freshman since 2015-16 have put up a similar line, and neither did it in their first game.
In her first collegiate game, @paigebueckers1 became just the third freshmen since 2015-16 to put up a line of 17p/9r/5a/5s, and she is the only freshman to do so in their collegiate debut.
Here are the other two such games: https://t.co/XLpaaxnMEO— Her Hoop Stats (@herhoopstats) December 12, 2020
The only other freshmen to post similar stat lines are Hailey Leidel and Darian White. Leidel put up some strong numbers at UMass, finishing as a the second-leading scorer in the program’s history. Despite that success, Leidel was not selected in the WNBA draft in April. She signed a contract with Sparta Bartreng in Luxembourg.
White, now a sophomore at Montana State, turned in “arguably the best freshman season in Bobcat women’s basketball history,” according to the team’s website. In three games this season, White is averaging 19.7 points and 3.7 steals per game.
Paige Bueckers enters UConn with plenty of hype
Bueckers — considered the No. 1 prospect in her class — announced her commitment to UConn in April. Bueckers led her high school team, Hopkins in Minnetonka, to a perfect 32-0 record last year and was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Minnesota for a second straight year. On top of that, Bueckers has already won three gold medals with USA Basketball, according to ESPN.
At UConn, Bueckers joins a program known for its dominance. The Huskies have won a record 11 national championships, including four straight between 2013 and 2016. All 11 of the championships have come with Geno Auriemma as the team’s head coach.
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