Sports Let’s face it: Geno Auriemma will not be any longer an excuse-maker, but his crew has been a long way from plump strength over the final four years. So, because the confetti fell down from the rafters at Mohegan Sun Enviornment for a fifth consecutive year in celebration of UConn’s Huge East Tournament championship, this system’s twenty third total, this one felt different.
“They’re playing as well as anyone in America right now,” FOX Sports analyst Kim Adams said in reference to the No. 3-ranked Huskies sooner or later of the printed. “They have all the pieces to win it all.”
The Huskies’ abilities changed into once on plump point out Monday evening as they attach together a two-hour health middle that resulted in a 70-50 get over a Creighton crew that’s an NCAA Tournament lock and entered the game with a 26-6 narrative.
Jim Flanery, whose Creighton crew had already lost to UConn twice this season by a blended 30 capabilities heading into Monday evening’s conference title game, said that the margin for error for his crew changed into once “slim to none,” and that “we’d have to be perfect.”
Factual four minutes into the game, it changed into once 11-0 Connecticut, thanks in huge piece to a defense that has been excellent over the final month and is the finest strength of the crew correct now. The Huskies sinful fourth within the country, allowing exquisite 51.9 capabilities per game, and help the nation’s most productive scoring margin at +29. UConn held each and every St. John’s and Villanova to exquisite two capabilities in a quarter of their respective quarterfinal and semifinal victories.
What changed into once missing within the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds confirmed up within the final, though, with UConn shooting 8-of-15 from 3-point territory within the first half and main 40-22 on the spoil. The Huskies had shot exquisite over 26% from downtown of their outdated two Huge Ten Tournament video games.
However the finest tale of this UConn crew and sooner or later of all of girls people’s faculty basketball is aesthetic clear: Bueckers Mania.
Paige Bueckers is restful chasing that elusive first national title, but on Monday evening, the Huskies’ senior star did enact a important-time feat, a hit Huge East Tournament Most Prominent Participant, and within the technique, becoming the first player to get the accolade three times (2021, 2024, 2025). Bueckers totaled 65 capabilities on 55% shooting whereas tallying 14 rebounds, 12 assists, five blocks and four steals in three Huge East Tournament victories.
“There are two ways that a senior can go,” Auriemma said. “They can either be panicking or stressed about what’s coming next, or they can relish in the moment, make the most of it and have the final say. Let’s hope it keeps going the way of the latter, but that’s what she is right now.”
UConn Huskies hoist 2025 Huge East Trophy, Paige Bueckers wins Most Prominent Participant Bueckers exquisite had that glance in her gaze Monday evening, one which claims she has a starvation to pen her final chapters at UConn after being sidelined for each and every her sophomore and junior years as a result of injuries. The 6-foot senior guard is now not deferring to anybody correct now, as any other taking matters into her have fingers and commanding the game. When you combine Buecker’s starvation with a blossoming freshman in Sarah Solid, who is the final matchup nightmare, it’s miles a downright frightening aggregate.
Solid possesses the skill to direction of the game at an elite stage whereas being unflappable and no longer letting the rest boring her down.
“It’s my favorite trait of hers … she just plays,” said Auriemma, who introduced up the indisputable truth that generally newcomers need time to bag to that point the put apart they’re no longer looking out to deem too significant.
However that’s no longer the case with Solid, whose mother, Allison Feaster, changed into once a three-time Ivy League Participant of the one year at Harvard and a 10-year WNBA skilled, and whose father, Danny, done at NC Teach after which abroad.
After a 20-point, 16-rebound efficiency in UConn’s get over Villanova within the semis, Solid tallied 13 capabilities, 11 rebounds, six steals, four assists and three blocks within the title game victory. When UConn goes smaller with her on the 5 intention and guards spherical her, it’s what Flanery referred to as “their death lineup.”
“Sarah is the best and most difficult player to match up with that they’ve had since Breanna Stewart,” St. John’s head coach Joe Tartamella educated FOX Sports by mobile phone after UConn’s get on Monday evening. “Strong completes them if she’s at the top of her game because Bueckers is driven, Kaitlyn Chen is steady and Azzi Fudd is the X-factor.”
Tartamella additionally introduced up the indisputable truth that this UConn crew did now not even non-public a neutral correct time on Monday evening. In previous years, the Huskies did point to a chunk extra jubilation over a hit the conference tournament crown, but this felt like a rung on the ladder toward what appears like a extraordinarily realistic consequence for the first time in quite a lot of years: a national title.
Auriemma has won 11 national championships at UConn, the final coming abet in 2016. However the model his crew is playing correct now offers him as correct a shot as anybody.
Bueckers’ ardour and pursuit are proper and Solid lives as a lot as her establish in each and every intention. The Huskies are a wagon, and it confirmed on Monday evening.
John Fanta is a national faculty basketball broadcaster and creator for FOX Sports. He covers the game in a diversity of capacities, from calling video games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Self-discipline of 68 Media Network. Divulge him at @John_Fanta .
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