Dom Amore: Paige Bueckers leaves Gampel Pavilion on top of her game. It was what ‘the night asked.’

STORRS Paige Bueckers was a little startled.

Shes known Azzi Fudd seemingly forever, and now both have been healthy enough to finally play together for a significant stretch, and what joy it has been.But this, Bueckers said, was a first:There was a time in the game when Azzi yelled at me, Bueckers said, which was the first time thats happened.

Usually, Im yelling at her.

But she was mad because I hesitated on three and they were leaving me wide open.

She was like shoot the ball, dont wait.'Fudds side of the story: She just laughed at me.UConn women reach 31st straight Sweet 16 with 91-57 win over South Dakota State in NCAA TournamentBueckers took and hit the 3-pointer with a shrug and a smirk.

This was in the middle of the second quarter Monday night, in UConns 91-57 victory over South Dakota State, and by this time Bueckers had already taken over, already made her last game at Gampel Pavilion her own.

She was going out on her terms, and on top of her game.For years, coach Geno Auriemma has been urging Bueckers to be less concerned with distributing, less with being unselfish more concerned with taking over, hunting and taking and making her shot.

Sometimes shes listened, usually she has stayed true to herself.It just depends on what the night asks for, Bueckers said in the postgame locker room.

Like in the first-round game (against Arkansas State).

Azzi, Sarah (Strong), Ash (Shade), they had an amazing game so Im not going to go out of my way to force shots, get them out of their rhythm and out of flow just because I need to get my shots up and show that Im aggressive, not passive.

Im going to play team basketball no matter what it is.

On any given night, it could be anyones night.This was Paige Bueckers night.

And this is what the night asked, or rather demanded from her: she made 10 of 12 shots during one stretch in the first half, 14 of 21 in the game, 3-for-5 on threes, tied her career high with 34 points from all the levels, added four rebounds, three assists, four steals.Dom Amore: For Dan Hurley, UConn men, a painful, but honorable end to their historic eraShe thinks too much about her ability to be the most efficient player in the game, Auriemma said.

So I was made aware of a stat today that when she made her first free throw.

It could be wrong, youd have to take this up with Rebecca (Lobo).

When she made her free throw today, that put her at 50 percent from the floor, 40 percent from the three and 90 percent from the free-throw line, which is pretty amazing when you think of it.

She has a two-to-one assist to turnover ratio, I believe.

Shes the only player in the NBA, WNBA, WBCA, NCAA any over player ever thats done that for an entire season (leading the country or league in assist-to-turnover ratio while shooting at least those percentages).

I would say thats been pretty good work by Paige.

Today I think she was just thinking about winning and she was even more efficient than she normally is, so, yes, waiting five years for this moment and hopefully theres a bunch more coming up.Bueckers career at UConn, coming in as a high school phenom with a social media following approaching the millions, and NIL money to follow, began with freshman season that made history, and peaked with a tour-de-force in an overtime win over South Carolina on Feb.

8, 2021.

That, on a personal note, was the night I auditioned for this columnist job, and Bueckers, who scored every point in OT and made that memorable three-point shot that popped up off the rim and fell through, was to make it easy.

Imagine, I mused that night, Connecticut would have four more years of this.

Ever since, to cover UConn womens basketball was to have Homer Simpsons voice in my ear, saying, dont write about Paige, dont write about Paige, dont write about Paige ...

DOH!And there shed go again, unavoidable.

There were a few parents and a lot of cardboard cutouts at Gampel that night in 2021.

When the students and when fans were allowed back in, they expected such performances every night.

But for much of two seasons she was hurt, on other nights, well, the game didnt ask for it.

She came back for this fifth year to give the crowds on campus and XL a few more examples of her very best.

She scored 1,029 points for them in 56 home games.This second-round tournament game, and the atmosphere surrounding it, asked Bueckers for a big game.

South Dakota State had Auriemma a little nervous for their style of play, their toughness, and in the early going they jumped out to a lead, did not look the least bit afraid.

Bueckers missed her first two shots, then everything she shot went in.

Not many shots even touched the rim.Just getting the play with someone who knows basketball so well, Fudd said, so you get to watch her, like I did today, you watch her take over the game and you also watch her make plays and create different opportunities for all her teammates.

So its a lot of fun to not just watch but also get to be on the floor and have her give you great looks, set good screens, everything she does and get to be part of that.

Its been incredible this year.Extremely grateful: UConns Paige Bueckers makes the most of her last game at Gampel PavilionLater in the game, Bueckers began creating looks for Fudd, who announced Tuesday that shell return to UConn next season, and the Huskies broke it open.

With 5:50 left, Auriemma put Bueckers back in to give the crowd one last basket, a characteristic Paige pull-up, to remember her by, and for them to give her one last ovation to take with her.

She took the mic and thanked them all for the years of support, then she ran off the court, joyfully greeting fans and raising her arms before disappearing through the tunnel, a healthy Paige Bueckers, comfortable in her jersey and her own skin, true to her belief in the way she plays.

On to the Sweet 16, with Oklahoma next in Spokane, and the biggest ask of all, a championship, still to come, but in Connecticut weve seen the last of Paige Bueckers in a home Huskies jersey, and she left with her very best..

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