Hopkins native Paige Bueckers wins NCAA title for UConn
TAMPA, FLORIDA - APRIL 06: The UConn Huskies celebrate in the fourth quarter against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the National Championship of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Amalie Arena on April 06, 2025 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Ma (Getty Images)
(FOX 9) - Former Hopkins standout Paige Bueckers won the NCAA title during her final season at UConn.
UConn wins NCAA title
Bueckers wins title:
Bueckers and her team at UConn beat South Carolina in the NCAA National Championship on Sunday.
This is Bueckers' first NCAA title in her final season with the Huskies.
UConn beat South Carolina 82-59. Bueckers had 17 points, 3 assists and 6 rebounds.
This is the UConn Women's basketball team's 12th national title, breaking the record.
Bueckers beat Maya Moore for the most career NCAA tournament points by a UConn player with 477 points, according to the NCAA.
ACL injury
The backstory:
Bueckers, playing as a redshirt senior, didn't play in the 2022 season due to an ACL injury. Last year, Bueckers lost to Caitlin Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament last year.
Instead of heading to the WNBA, Bueckers decided to play one more season for UConn.
During her final season at UConn, Bueckers won the 2025 BIG EAST Player of the Year, and the 2025 All-BIG EAST First Team.
Future WNBA career
What's next:
Bueckers is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the upcoming WNBA draft on April 14, according to Sports Illustrated.
The Source: This report was written from Paige Bueckers' biography on UConn's website, a Sports Illustrated article and NCAA stats from the championship game.