Paige Bueckers has a special connection with UConn, and why not when the program has given you a championship just before your pro debut? So, Bueckers was back where her journey took shape, celebrating their national title again, albeit in a special way. Their 2024-25 season squad received new bling in the form of ‘championship rings’, designed by Bueckers, Caroline Ducharme, and Azzi Fudd. As Bueckers and Co. received the beautiful finger ring, the Dallas Wings star made sure to run it back in her alma mater.

Bueckers joined in to practice, but with a slight twist. Since she is a former Husky, Bueckers was included in the practice squad. “Tried out a new practice player today,” UConn captioned their social media post featuring Bueckers. And she was quick to display her gratitude back by reposting it on her story with the practice squad. The message read, “My Boys” with a fingers-crossed emoji. The current UConn squad was not going to let this opportunity go to waste.

The Huskies finished last season 37-3 with an undefeated conference record at 18-0, beating out Creighton to win the league by two games. It was a season completely dominated by Paige Bueckers, averaging 19.9 points and 4.6 assists while sweeping major national honors, including the Wade Trophy, Honda Sport Award, and Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year, while earning unanimous first-team All-America and Big East Player of the Year.

This is the same practice team Bueckers terrorized for the last 4 years. “Welcome home, @paigebueckers,” wrote the UConn wbb practice squad handle. If you didn’t know, the UConn practice players are undergraduate students/their scout team. They are essentially student-athletes, participating in most team activities, minus being in the actual games. 

The athletes still need to maintain a 2.3 GPA for the school with which they practice, and they also have five years of eligibility, like a normal NCAA athlete on a varsity sports team would. They rarely get much spotlight despite being a key part of Paige Bueckers and Geno Aurriemma’s success.

As Bueckers leaves UConn behind, Auriemma remains a vital influence in her career, especially when coaching is concerned. After Chris Koclanes, Bueckers is getting a new coach for next season, and Jose Fernandez is highly respected by Geno Aurriemma. 

Paige Bueckers’ new bench boss has Auriemma’s blessing

It’s safe to say hiring Chris Koclanes wasn’t the best decision from Curt Miller. Wings lacked clear direction in 2025 as they struggled to a 10-34 record last season under an inexperienced coach. This time, they are going the other way with Jose Fernandez, who is a veteran in women’s basketball. Fernandez went 485-317 in his 25 years in Tampa, leading USF to 10 NCAA Tournaments, including in eight of the last 11 seasons. He was even elected as the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association President earlier this year when Geno Auriemma showed immense respect to Fernandez. 

Auriemma said Fernandez has been one of his closest coaching friends for three decades, dating to when the Huskies and Bulls were Big East Conference rivals. “I think he’s a tremendous coach, obviously, as everybody knows, but he cares deeply about the game itself,” Auriemma said, “He puts in the time and effort.”

Well, that is exactly what Paige Bueckers and this young Dallas core might need, as they are not going to become contenders just with this change. The grind is yet to come, but Fernandez seems to have the experience and the connections to mould this team into something better. Especially since he will be starting with a clean slate, barring their rookies, with the upcoming free agency being a pivotal one for the entire league. If that was not enough compliments for Fernandez, Aurriemma probably gave him the biggest one next.

“There are a lot of things about the game that I want to talk to him about, and he might be the one guy who will ask me,” Auriemma said, “so that’s not a bad thing.”

If Fernandez’s time in Dallas is anything like Auriemma’s in UConn, we are in for a treat. Paige Bueckers has become the player she is because of the UConn head coach. He has lit fires under the phenom to make her improve. The kind of player that Bueckers is, she will thrive under any head coach, but improving will be a task. A good coach can take her game to the next level while building a team that competes for rings in the big leagues, too.