Paige Bueckers returned to UConn for the 2024-25 national championship ring ceremony and received her ring alongside former teammates Azzi Fudd and Caroline Ducharme.
The Dallas Wings guard, who helped win the title before turning pro, called the experience emotional but “really weird” as a former player.
The ceremony took place before UConn’s season-opener against Louisville. Bueckers also joined a practice session as part of the men’s practice squad earlier.
Paige Bueckers Gets Candid About UConn Championship Ring
While she’s heading a much-anticipated Unrivaled season, Bueckers described the ceremony as unusual without the usual competitive pressure.
“It definitely felt really weird being there, not being on the team, and not feeling like a sense of anxiety in a sense of like I’m preparing for the upcoming season, the long haul of a college season, trying to compete and win a national championship, and how hard that was the last year, the year before,” Bueckers said.
“So, it was really weird just being there, not having that I don’t know sense of like basketball-wise,” she added.
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However, PB also emphasized the lasting bonds, saying she was “just being there with the people and connecting back with the coach and all the people that I played with.”
Additionally, Bueckers helped design the ring with Fudd and Ducharme, including the team motto ‘Vibes.’
Paige Bueckers Jokes About Geno Auriemma Post UConn Days
Bueckers joked that coach Geno Auriemma is “a bit nicer” to her since she graduated from UConn and joined the WNBA.
She also noted the freedom in practice “out there just hooping having fun, and the other team is getting yelled at, so you’re not really worried about anything.”
Although she’s making her way into the WNBA veterans list with her performance, she’s still holding her UConn roots firm.