Paige Bueckers hears Geno Auriemma loud and clear in UConn masterclass

Sarah Strong and Paige Bueckers led the charge in No.

4 UConn's 101-68 victory over Iowa State on Tuesday.

Strong and Bueckers scored career-highs of 29 and 27 points respectively in the Basketball Hall of Fame Womens Showcase.

Ashlynn Shade also had a standout performance for the Huskies with a career-best 27 points, including seven 3-pointers.

Bueckers' impressive display comes after Geno Auriemma claimed the idea of failing to win a national championship "scares" the player.

The 23-year-old is in her last year of college basketball and is tipped to be the first overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft.

Shaquille O'Neal strikes historic WNBA agreement after Angel Reese contract Dennis Rodman makes promise to estranged daughter Trinity after honest interview Bueckers has already achieved plenty in basketball.

In 2021, she was named the AP Player of the Year, Naismith College Player of the Year, and USBWA National Player of the Year.

She was also chosen as the MVP after the United States won the U19 World Cup in 2019.

The only thing left for Bueckers to do is bring a national championship to UConn.

"I think it scares her to leave here and be the best player ever to play at UConn without winning a national championship - that it affects your legacy a little bit," Huskies head coach Auriemma recently told The Athletic.

"I've never said that, and I don't believe that.

"But I've gotta believe she thinks that, that she needs that to validate who she is.

I don't believe that that's the ultimate identifier of what true success is." And Bueckers showed her championship credentials in UConn's latest win.

The Huskies (10-1) dominated from the start, leading 36-10 after the first 10 minutes, and the Cyclones (9-4) were unable to close the gap.

UConn set a school record with 20 3-pointers.

Audi Crooks was the top scorer for Iowa State with 22 points.

The Cyclones, who dropped out of the poll Monday after starting the season at No.

8, need to find more consistent help on offense for Crooks.

Shade provided another offensive option for the Huskies to complement Bueckers and Strong.

UConn made its first nine 3-point attempts before finally missing one with 1:33 left in the first quarter.

The Huskies finished the game 20 for 34 from behind the arc.

Shade scored UConn's first 14 points as the Huskies raced out to a 14-6 lead in the first 4:30 of the game.

She hit her first five shots, including four 3-pointers.

The last one was from the logo and drew a smile from coach Auriemma.

Iowa State is set to face Oklahoma State this Saturday, marking the start of Big 12 play.

Meanwhile, UConn will host JuJu Watkins and No.

7 Southern California on Saturday in a thrilling rematch of last season's Elite Eight game..

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