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It's not easy to make history at UConn, where the banners hang like family portraits and legends come through in waves. But Paige Bueckers just pulled it off-again.
In her final game wearing Husky blue, Bueckers didn't just lead UConn to its long-awaited national championship. She also ed a name that's sacred in Storrs: Maya Moore.
Her 17 points in Sunday's win over South Carolina pushed her NCAA tournament career total to 477-one more than Moore, who set the bar at 476 more than a decade ago. For a program that's seen some of the greatest to ever play the game, this is rare air.
Bueckers' historic run rewrites UConn's record book
What makes the moment even more striking is the context. Moore's record had stood untouched since 2011, even as stars like Breanna Stewart and Diana Taurasi made their own marks on the game. Bueckers, who averaged 24.8 points through this year's tournament, simply willed her team-and herself-into the spotlight.
She exploded for 40 points in the Sweet 16 against Oklahoma, then dropped 31 on No. 1 USC to help UConn reach the Final Four. It was a stretch of games that felt inevitable, like she knew exactly when to shift into top gear.
"I wasn't thinking about breaking any records,"Bueckers told ESPNW. "I just didn't want this to be my last game."
Bueckers now trails only Caitlin Clark (491) and Chamique Holdsclaw (479) on the all-time NCAA tournament scoring list. But at UConn, she's at the very top.
"Paige came back from injury, carried us all year, and delivered when it mattered most," head coach Geno Auriemma told The Athletic. "She's everything we hoped for-and more."