“They’ve all been gratifying, don’t get me wrong, but this one here, because of the way it came about and what’s been involved, it’s been a long time since I’ve been that emotional when a player has walked off the court,” said UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma about Paige Bueckers back in April. During the WNBA Rookie’s 5 years with her college team, she formed a deep bond with the head coach, based on mutual respect, playful banter, and deep affection. You don’t stay as a team’s head coach for 40 years, and coach the likes of Sue Bird, Maya Moore, Diana Taurasi, and Breanna Stewart, and yet still give out praise like that if the feeling of respect isn’t mutual. Auriemma is a person Paige Bueckers knows she can reach out to, both during her high and especially low moments.

The UConn Huskies head coach recently participated in a Q&A session with media members. During the same, he discussed Paige Bueckers by revealing “She texted me. I don’t think she’s doing well. I think maybe I should check on her a little bit. I think she was on vacation or something else. You know, she texted me that…. I could show it to you. It says I miss you.”

Auriemma, just like he often has, then joked in a playful manner that “I’m not sure it was meant for me. But I’m going that it was meant for me. Accidental. It was a b— text. It kind of made me like roll my eyes and go, ‘We kind of miss you more.'”

Geno Auriemma made this revelation a few hours after the official X account of the Dallas Wings announced that Paige Bueckers has been named to the 2025 WNBA All-Rookie Team. She is joined on the list by Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen of the Washington Mystics, Dominique Malonga of the Seattle Storm, and Janelle Salaün of the Golden State Valkyries. This marks the first time since 2014 that the top four picks from the same draft class have made the All-Rookie Team, and the seventh time in league history that this has happened.

Paige Bueckers earns this title after leading all rookies in scoring during this recent WNBA season. Over the course of 36 games in the regular season, she averaged 19.2 points per game, along with 3.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists, through 7.2-15.1 (47.7%) field goals, 1.1-3.3 (33.1%) 3-pointers, and 3.8-4.2 (88.8%) free throws. She was named the 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year just earlier this month, and now walks away with another prestigious honor to her name.

If Paige Bueckers is ‘not doing well’ currently, then it isn’t something she is showing to the public. The recent clips of her appearance on ‘The Jennifer Hudson Show’ show the rookie doing well and in high spirits. It was only a few weeks ago when netizens showed her kicking off her vacation with a night swim. A few days ago, Paige Bueckers herself took to Instagram to feature her highlights from a recent trip to Los Angeles, during which she played golf, attended a football game, and was just making the most of her life.

Since the UConn Huskies’ 2025-26 season will be the first time Paige Bueckers won’t be a part of the team after 5 seasons, perhaps the player was simply feeling nostalgic. We know that the head coach is, since he is already reflecting on the gap the WNBA star left.

Geno Auriemma Reflects On Coaching A Team Without Paige Bueckers

During the same session with media members, Geno Auriemma addressed what it is like to coach a team without Paige Bueckers. The head coach highlighted that it’s impossible to ignore the vacuum left behind by Bueckers. After all, her leadership was as important to UConn as her impact on the court over the course of the five years she was with the program.

“Not having Paige impacts every kid on our team, and you can see it out there,” said Auriemma. “It’s a big adjustment for me … There were more than a couple of events today on the court that happened where you go ‘hmm, I think we’re gonna see more of that,’ because last year it would’ve been something different. You have to wait for someone to fill that void, and no one’s going to fill it completely, but it’ll start to show itself … Any time you have someone that’s so dominant at their position, it takes some getting used to.”

The UConn Huskies’ women’s basketball team has five newcomers to integrate into the team this season. This includes three freshmen and two first-year transfers. Meanwhile, several of the franchise’s more experienced players are limited, as practices begin, due to minor injuries. Junior Ashlynn Shade continues to recover from a hamstring issue, while Jana El Alfy is working her way back from a calf injury. Meanwhile, Morgan Cheli remains out after undergoing ankle surgery in February. Auriemma highlighted that there is no timetable for her return.

Paige Bueckers reported girlfriend and former teammate, Azzi Fudd, will most likely become the face of the UConn Huskies now. Additionally, Auriemma has reportedly seen growth from several key pieces, like Ashlynn Shade and KK Arnold, who will become UConn’s most veteran point guard in the coming games. Caroline Ducharme will also return after spending the majority of the last two seasons sidelined by head and neck injuries.

The UConn Huskies are, without a doubt, entering an uncertain period following their star player’s exit. Despite the fact that Geno Auriemma has had 4 decades of experience in seeing star players come and go, it remains to be seen how he handles his transition.