“Some people play the game, some people love the game — but I think I live the game,” Paige Bueckers’ commitment, yet not in sight, proves one point: The women’s sport is in a good spot this year. As it stands, there is no true number-one team or player in the league, with everyone in the top 10 standing just about equal. Insane! But beyond the equality, few names stand out. Paige Bueckers from UConn is surely one of them, but who are the other two who went past her?

There is no doubt that the prestigious NPOY title will be awarded to one of the three players, but only one player is creeping out of the spotlight. Paige Bueckers is on a generational run with UConn, playing her second consecutive healthy season in her career so far. While the Huskies star is all set to go #1 in this year’s WNBA draft, her odds for NPOY are decreasing by the day according to analysts. So who’s up for the grab?

On ESPN’s The Elle Duncan Show, show hosts Elle Duncan and Gary Striewski break down the current storm brewing in the Big Ten. Saturday’s matchup is a clash of titans as UCLA faces USC. However, according to Duncan, a lot is riding on the game for both parties. “I think that not only will the Big Ten Player of the Year, but the National Player of the Year will also be decided on Saturday. And I think they’ll also end up being the same person.” The NPOY favorite title has been avoiding Paige Bueckers recently. Even though her short shooting slump is now over, it did cost her chances by a lot.

The suspense ends as Lauren Betts from UCLA and JuJu Watkins from USC are giving Bueckers a run for her money. Watkins is leading the Big Ten in scoring and is top-5 nationally in both steals and blocks! Not to mention, her recent 38-point 8-block game put her over the other two as the current best player in the country.

Meanwhile, the giant from UCLA hasn’t been letting up either. “Lauren Betts has been a part of, up until that loss to USC, the most consistent and dominant team.” She has been averaging nearly 20 and 10 on an absurd 62% from the field! Her footwork and post dominance are quite impressive, especially for her size and agility.

But what made Paige Bueckers lose the race to them? Oh, she has a different plan, and a greater one. She has taken on more of a facilitating role as compared to the scoring dominance of her counterparts. She makes her teammates a lot better while playing alongside her, and her passing is always on point. It makes her more of a leader, as compared to the others. But what brought her to this level?

Is UConn’s floor general the key to their dominance?

Paige Bueckers fills up the stat sheet and does practically everything on the court. The Uconn number 5 even started as a forward for the injury-ridden team last year. Even though her scoring is not on par with her competitors for NPOY, or someone like Hannah Hidalgo from Notre Dame, the impact that she has is monumental.

Her stats reflect her dominance—about 18.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game. The numbers tell the story of a pass-first point guard who is having a great three-dimensional impact on the court. However, Bueckers’ impact is much more than what the numbers can show, even through a recent slump.

Her leadership, her confidence, and her ability to read the game have been critical for coach Geno’s team this season. Not to mention, she has been a menace on the defensive end! Bueckers is averaging 2 steals per game and has ramped up the defensive efforts recently. She got 8 steals throughout two consecutive games against Providence and St. John’s, leading to blowout victories.

JuJu Watkins and Lauren Betts are incredible players in their own right and may win the NPOY title over Bueckers. However, the UConn guard has led her team to a wonderful season this year, playing the role that was asked of her. No one can deny the larger-than-life impact she has had on the Huskies team this year.