Sports Corner

Paige Bueckers gets real on “struggling” for years before her UConn commitment

TVL
TVL


UConn star Paige Bueckers is basking in the euphoria of winning the NCAA Championship title but has admitted that she struggled in High School due to personal issues and her inability to win titles for her team.

Bueckers was ranked No. 1 in the recruiting class of 2020, but it wasn’t a surprise because of her brilliant performances and numbers with Hopkins High School.

From the moment she started playing for Hopkins High School, it was certain that Bueckers was going to be a star. When she was in eighth grade, she averaged 8.9 points, 2.1 assists and 4.2 steals.

Unfortunately for her, Hopkins High School, who entered the state final with a 28-2 record, lost the final. Then, in her freshman year, Bueckers’ numbers improved significantly, putting up 21.6 points, 4.2 assists and 4.2 steals per game. But Hopkins High School lost the Championship game to Elk River High School.

Bueckers continued to shine in her sophomore year, averaging 22.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game. Still, her brilliance couldn’t buy Hopkins a Minnesota Class 4A State Championship as they lost the final.

After losing three finals in a row, Paige Bueckers admitted in an interview with CTI that she started to doubt herself. She also revealed that she was having personal issues at the time.

“I was struggling a lot,” Bueckers told CTI. “I had family stuff going on, and basketball. Obviously, everybody has their own struggles, but I’d made it to the state championship three years in a row and lost in the state championship three years in a row. So, I was just like, ‘When? Why?’ There were so many questions that I had unanswered.”

However, things started to look up in her fourth season, winning the state championship with Hopkins, ensuring that they ended the year on a high with a perfect 32-0 record.

The challenges may not be over for Paige Bueckers

Paige Bueckers had a slight semblance of High School at UConn, as she failed to win the NCAA Tournament in her first attempt. But she eventually got the monkeys off her back after helping the Huskies win it last week.

Now, she’s making the move up to the WNBA after four years at UConn. For sure, the challenges won’t end. But with the talent she has got, she should surmount them and etch her name in gold.