Paige Bueckers wears out Geno Auriemma amidst 'Strong' debate entering March Madness

The Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team of 2024/25 is defined by two figures: star guard Paige Bueckers, and legendary head coach Geno Auriemma. Bueckers and Auriemma have butted heads over the past few years, but they retain great iration and respect for one another -- and their shared goal remains the same.

Connecticut on Monday night will play for the Big East Conference tournament championship, seeking to claim the regular season and postseason titles in advance of the NCAA Tournament. Bueckers has never won a championship at this level; Auriemma has, 11 times, but not since 2016. With Bueckers set to enter the WNBA next month, her partnership with Auriemma is set to end -- and a new star will emerge in her place.

Sarah Strong: UConn's new star?

After the Huskies reached the Big East Conference tournament championship game with a dominant 82-54 win over Villanova, Auriemma described Bueckers and freshman forward Sarah Strong as his dangerous duo -- and he never likes to be without one on the court at all times in a 40-minute basketball game.

"I always like to think that we don't want to play with both Sarah and Paige on the bench," Auriemma said. "That's how important I think she is."

Strong, born in Madrid but a graduate of Grace Christian School in North Carolina, was ESPN's #1 recruit in 2024, and she is meeting the hype in her freshman season. She is averaging better than 16 points and eight rebounds per game, and she led the Big East with a 57.9 field goal percentage.

With Bueckers and Strong uniting -- and factoring in the lights-out shooting of guard Azzi Fudd -- UConn are as dangerous as ever entering the Big East title game against Creighton on Monday night. The Huskies' resume may not be strong enough to warrant a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament -- but they might be the best #2 seed in the field, and many fans and experts will side with Bueckers as she pursues an NCAA championship one last time.