TAMPA, Fla. — Paige Bueckers insists she’s not concerned about her legacy.
The UConn standout from Hopkins will close out her college career when the Huskies face South Carolina in Sunday’s national title game. She said Saturday that she would like to be remembered as ‘’a great teammate, a great leader’’ who makes players around her better.
She’ll leave it to others to decide if adding an NCAA championship to an already impressive resume will validate her accomplishments.
‘‘I don’t think that’s up to me. I think that’s up to the people who, I guess, get to decide if people’s legacies are cemented or whatever," Bueckers said. ‘’But I’m not worried about that at all.
‘‘The thing I take great joy and great pride in is the relationships, the experiences, the journeys we’ve gone on throughout the team,‘’ she added. ‘’Just the bonds I’ve been able to create with my teammates, the memories, the close-knit stuff that, I mean, you can’t really experience without support, just how it’s brought us all together and how much we’ve grown as individuals, grown as a team. All the stuff we’ve been through and how much it’s made us stronger.‘’
UConn players talk about their desire to deliver a 12th national title for Geno Auriemma, who has led the Huskies to a record 24 Final Fours. The coach, however, would like Bueckers and the rest of his players to experience the joy of winning it all.
Win or lose, however, Auriemma knows Bueckers has already made a lasting impact on his storied program.
‘‘If you’re in this for the first time, you really don’t have the appreciation for what it really is. If you’re fortunate like I’ve been, you know what that feels like when someone who has given their whole heart and soul to your program walks off the court in the last game of their career with a national championship. … You see the effect that it has on their life,‘’ Auriemma said.
