Paige Bueckers never misses a chance to reconnect with her Alma Mater and was recently at the practice reunion with another former UConn star, Aaliyah Edwards. The player once again showed her superiority in the game. And the coach, Geno Auriemma, was ‘happily’ frustrated with her presence on the floor.
In the post-training media interaction, Auriemma joked about Bueckers’ WNBA bragging during the practice reunion and even trolled her, asking the reporters whether they knew PB was in the WNBA. He further mocked the 2025 rookie with a ‘Dennis the Menace’ jab.
Geno Auriemma Calls Paige Bueckers ‘Dennis The Menace’
After joining the WNBA, the Wings’ guard opened up on Geno Auriemma’s nicer behavior towards her. Though he might not be strict on her as his player, he still seizes every opportunity to belittle her, as seen in recent interactions with the media.
When the reporter asked him about having Edwards and Bueckers at the practice session, Auriemma said, “It was great to see Alliyah, because we haven’t seen her in a while. She looks fantastic. She is great. It’s great to have her here. The other one is just having Dennis the Menace back on chaos.”
While Auriemma showed love for Edwards, he used words – ‘the other one’ for Bueckers, and even called her Denis the Menace, for being chaotic on the floor. The duo had many iconic stories from the training sessions as the 71-year-old coach was like a mentor to the talented guard.
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Even though Auriemma tries to make fun of Paige Bueckers in front of the media or players during relaxed moments, he always backs the playmaker, calling her mature ahead of time. HE even claimed that she could be the starting point guard for the senior national team in a recent interview.
Geno Auriemma Sees Paige Bueckers as Sue Bird’s Successor
The UConn Huskies produced some of the top stars in the country, who went on to win multiple gold medals at the international level. While Breanna Stewart is the most decorated forward from the program, at the guard position, there is no one like Sue Bird. So Auriemma quickly drew a comparison with his former superstar to a recent WNBA megastar.
On PB’s selection for the senior team training camp, the Huskies coach said, “I believe the first step is to get invited. So, that’s number one. Whatever you need her to do, she’s going to do it. Since Sue retired, there really hasn’t been a clear-cut ‘here’s the successor.’”
Sue Bird won multiple titles with the national side and was the primary ball handler for the most successful team in women’s basketball. Calling the former Hopkins girl her successor, Auriemma hints at a starting role for Bueckers in the upcoming games.