STORRS, Conn. (AP) — UConn star Paige Bueckers and coach Geno Auriemma both say they will be back at the school next season.
A senior academically, Bueckers made the announcement during senior night ceremonies at Gampel Pavilion following the team’s 85-44 win over Georgetown on Friday night.
Telling the crowd she wanted to “address the elephant in the room,” Bueckers said, “Unfortunately, this will not be my last year.”
Her coach followed that announcement by ending any speculation that he might retire at season’s end.
He joked to reporters that he was planning to come back next year as well, “until Paige announced that she’s coming back.” He then added, “Yeah, I’ll be back.”
Bueckers was named national player of the year as a freshman, spending that season playing in front of cardboard cutouts during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading the Huskies to the national semifinals where they lost to Arizona.
She spent most of her sophomore year on the bench with tibia plateau fracture in her left knee, but came back in time to lead the Huskies to the national championship game, where they lost to South Carolina.
She suffered a torn ACL in that same knee before last season and was out the entire year.
Bueckers, Aaliyah Edwards, Nika Muhl and Aubrey Griffin were all honored Friday.
Griffin, who tore an ACL last month, also announced she will be back next season. She is one of five Huskies out for the rest of the season with injuries. The others — Azzi Fudd, Jana El-Alfy, Caroline Ducharme and Annaya Patterson — all are expected back.
Edwards and Muhl did not announce their plans, but both said, “We’re not done yet.”
Bueckers has two years of eligibility remaining. Edwards, Muhl and Griffin each have one.
But both Edwards and Bueckers have been projected as high first-round picks should they enter the WNBA draft.
As international players, Muhl (Croatia) and Edwards (Canada) also have not been able to make the NIL money that has been flowing to their teammates while in college.
Auriemma said he would be surprised if Muhl or Edwards returned for an extra year.
Auriemma said he wasn’t certain Bueckers would be back, until she announced it to the crowd.
“I never pressed her on it either,” he said.
Bueckers said Thursday that she is not giving up on winning a national championship this season, despite five decisive losses to top teams — North Carolina State, UCLA, Texas, Notre Dame and South Carolina.
UConn has just four regular-season games remaining including games at home against Creighton on Monday in Hartford and Villanova on Feb. 28 at Gampel.
