Perhaps no team in the 2025 women's NCAA Tournament has been more locked in than UConn, which is looking for its 12th national championship under the legendary Geno Auriemma.
A big reason for that has been the production from the Huskies' conductor, Paige Bueckers.
The presumed No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming WNBA draft, the 6-foot guard carved up defenses left and right through the postseason with her three-level scoring and playmaking ability. Over the last three games, Bueckers has scored a combined 105 points, which is the most combined points in a three-game span in UConn's history — more than the likes of Rebecca Lobo, Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi and Breanna Stewart.
Now, Bueckers looks to lead the Huskies back to the national championship on Friday with a win vs. No. 1 UCLA in the Final Four.
But before Paige Bueckers was "Paige Buckets" for the Huskies, she was "Paige Buckets" back in the Minnesota high school level.
Here's more to know on where Bueckers is from:
Where is Paige Bueckers from?
As noted by her UConn women's basketball profile, Bueckers hails from Hopkins, Minnesota.
Where did Paige Bueckers go to high school?
Bueckers attended Hopkins High School, where she was on the varsity team for a total of five seasons, starting with her 8th-grade year.
A three-time Gatorade Minnesota Player of the Year, Bueckers averaged 21.0 points, 9.2 assists, 5.2 steals and 5.1 rebounds per game as a senior. The Royals went a perfect 30-0 in Bueckers' final season and made a trip to the Class AAAA state championship game, which was canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Bueckers put up impressive stats over the first three years of her high school career, as she had 1,508 points, 389 rebounds, 361 assists and 278 steals in that span, per her USA Basketball profile page. As noted by CT Insider's Roger Cleveland, Bueckers finished with 2,877 points, 795 assists, 574 steals and 83 blocks in her five seasons at the high-school level.
"In the league we play in where schools have 3,000-4,000 students, it is a freak of nature for a kid to play in seventh grade," Bueckers' high ...
