Legendary UConn coach Geno Auriemma unwittingly stirred up a social media buzz last week with his declaration that Paige Bueckers is “the best player in America.”
Geno Auriemma
This season, many have bestowed that title upon Iowa standout Caitlin Clark, the reigning national player of the year who shattered the all-time Division I scoring record in March, surpassing LSU’s Pete Maravich.
However,Geno Auriemma stands firmly by his statement. He doesn’t believe he’s alone in this assessment either.
“I didn’t realize I was causing a stir,” Geno Auriemma remarked on Friday, a day before UConn, seeded third, was scheduled to face seventh-seeded Duke in the Portland 3 regional semifinals. “I bet if you asked USC, they wouldn’t say Caitlin is the best player in the country. I bet if you asked LSU, they wouldn’t say Caitlin is the best player in the country. I bet you Texas wouldn’t say that.”
Auriemma’s argument is that every coach will naturally advocate for their players’ recognition, just as he did when he lauded Bueckers following their 72-64 victory over Syracuse in the second round. Especially in a season like this, where star power, particularly among freshmen, is exceptionally high, coaches speaking out about it is acceptable.
Moreover, statistics support Geno Auriemma stance. Bueckers exhibits remarkable efficiency and impact on both offense and defense, evident in her averages: 21.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.2 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game. She also maintains shooting percentages of 54% from the field and 41.8% from beyond the arc.
“It’s very humbling; you sorta wouldn’t expect him to say it because of what happens at practice and games and how much he yells at you,” said Bueckers, laughing. “Obviously, Coach has a great basketball mind … something like that means a lot from him.”
Bueckers was seated beside Auriemma during the press conference when he made the statement, prompting her to joke that it was even more surprising that she could hear him.
Despite encountering significant injuries during her career, the junior guard is averaging 30 points, 10.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 3.5 steals in the tournament so far. When she took the court for the Huskies’ first-round game against Jackson State, it had been 720 days since Bueckers’ last NCAA Tournament appearance.
Huskies forward Aaliyah Edwards echoed her coach, asserting, “we see it in practice every day; she’s a crucial part of our team.” Edwards, a senior, agreed that receiving praise from someone notoriously demanding boosts confidence.
For Auriemma, the debate is minimal.
“If you go by stats, if you go by efficiency, if you go by the entire box score and what she means to our team, I think she’s done more for our team than anybody,” he stated. “I wouldn’t trade her for anybody else.”
Auriemma also noted, “I’ve coached the best player in the country a lot more than anyone else in this tournament.”
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