Paige Bueckers’ Final Shot: Can She Win a Title in her Final 40 Minutes?

It is now April 5, 2025, and Paige Bueckers is prepared to make history. The UConn Huskies’ star guard has a mere 40 minutes of college basketball left to her name. Tomorrow, she will go up against South Carolina in the NCAA women’s championship game. A game that could potentially define her legacy. For a player who has left fans breathless with remarkable stats and unwavering confidence, one question looms: will this be the night she finally captures that elusive national title?

Bueckers became a household name when she was just a freshman in 2021. This is when she swept all awards which included the Wooden Award and Naismith Player of the Year as a first-year genius. She has led UConn to the Final Four in all her seasons, has over 2300 career points and dusting her due to injuries. However, that championship banner, the ultimate prize for a school that holds 11 titles, has not been achieved. That game on Sunday is her last opportunity to change this.

A career full of success and misfortune

The path to success for Paige at UConn hasn’t been a walk in the park. Her willpower was tested with injuries such as a torn ACL in 2022 and a knee sprain earlier this year. Although she missed an entire season and had to struggle through others, Paige still managed to emerge victorious as a steadying figure. Rebecca Lobo of ESPN remarked not long ago, “She’s playing the best basketball of her career right now,” referencing her 31-point performance against USC in the Elite Eight. That game was one of her three straights games putting up 30 or more, something that has turned heads and fueled title talk.

Imagine this: Bueckers is the sole player in the past 25 years from UConn to achieve the mark of multiple 30-point games in a single NCAA tournament. Her being the only player competing with over 50% field goal and 40% 3-point shooting clubbed with her calmness under immense pressure is exactly what sets her apart from her competitors.

The Stakes Against South Carolina

The defending champions from South Carolina are not underwhelming in any category. They boast of having both size and speed, along with a chip on their shoulders after winning last year’s title. UConn lost to them in the 2022 championship, and that remains a sore point for Paige. Her words, “Anything less than a national championship is bound to be disappointing,” are quite telling of the expectations pegged on her. Such is the case with UConn, where with seemingly no regard legends like Diana Taurasi and Breanna Stewart have razor-sharp expectations, and that pressure is genuine.

Picture this: near the end of the fourth quarter and the score is tied. All eyes are on Paige who has the ball. That is the moment she longs for. Geno Auriemma, her coach, head of Connecticut female basketball for nearly 30 years and who is in pursuit of his twelfth title, gives her the trust of being able to take the shot. He said to The Athletic, “She can summon something when it’s needed most.” But the South Carolina defense is suffocating. Will her magic be enough?

What’s a Title Worth?

This is where the matter becomes personal. Some people claim that Paige’s legacy doesn’t need a championship relaxed, as she is already a three time all American and as good as picked for number one in the 2025 WNBA draft. Look at Caitlin Clark, she never won a title while at Iowa but completely demolished the record books. UConn’s is different, though. The standard is every single legend to have passed through the Storrs has one ring to their name. The silence is thunderous: almost perfect.

I think about my high school teammate, Sara. She never won a state title, but Paige carries that same fire but on a bigger stage and with more attention. A win tomorrow will, for the most part, guarantee immortality in the eyes of UConn fans forever lask for number. I can’t help but think that through sheer willpower, she makes for a fitting reminder: the heart of our team.

The Final Countdown

The fan excitement is buzzing as the tip-off approaches. A tweet from X describes her as “the clutch queen we all need,” which is fueling the hype. While Vegas oddsmakers seem to favor UConn, games are never won on paper. In the end, the drama is priceless, regardless of the outcome. Will Paige’s 40 minutes spent on the court be a coronation or a heartbreak?

Settle in and grab your popcorn, as this is not just another game. It is one that has been building for five years. Whether or not Bueckers walks off the court with the title is yet to be seen, but we can be sure South Carolina is ready to spoil the party. Regardless of the circumstances, the game is bound to be a spectacle. Do you think she can actually pull it off?