Reacting to Paige Bueckers Staying at UConn Hot Take!

[@Cmanne18]

I agree with your assessment Robin. Paige and Flaujae I thought they signed with Unrivaled for next season. So, how do they play in college next season and unrivaled? College season is in January just like Unrivaled

[@smoothblink]

Lowkey I think Paige needs to start over. New coach, new teammates, get out from Uconn's shadow. I think it's time to go pro fs. Her and Geno just don't seem to be on the same, uh, page.

[@mbarkley33]

I would think twice about drafting her with her injuries in the past.

[@easymoney3814]

FACTS

[@SusanZiegler-jv6gb]

I said that last year! Not with ten foot pole! Or AZZI when it comes time.

[@buggie1872]

Paige's excuse for returning this year was she didn't want to leave college without a championship. Doesn't look like she'll win a championship this year. Doesn't that mean she has to come back for another year?

[@KarmaIsaTSpodcast13]

Just listened to the podcast this morning. I agree with you Robin.

[@Riggo1982]

This has been a prevalent view on social media.

[@jon-jl7fl]

You can be a Great player in the WNBA without winning a Championship. look a Catlin

[@ericeggenbergrr2439]

Also Sabrina, Kelsey Plum, Kelsey Mitchell, Jonquel Jones, and many others never won it all in college but are doing fantastic in the WNBA. I'm a 4 year college span only 4 teams are going to win. There are more than 4 great players on way more than 4 teams. Teams like UConn, South Carolina have the major advantage as they have a good percentage of the top players. Paige didn't go pro last year because her ego couldn't handle knowing she wouldn't be drafted number 1. If she doesn't think she'll go first with standouts like Lauren Betts and Olivia Miles, she may not come back

[@Ndfourlife]

CC is in her own stratosphere.

[@karencarlisle2887]

Takes a team to win. They got to the finals back to back. Not shabby.

[@StanEngland]

@@karencarlisle2887 And for two consecutive years, Iowas defeated the defending champion.

[@doug6013]

The way a few of the other ladies are playing this year around the country. What says page would be a number one draft. She could possibly go to LA with their second pic.

[@briana8332]

I think she definitely comes back if UCONN doesn’t make the Final Four this season. She doesn’t need money, and WNBA doesn’t pay much. UCONN will have a better shot next year at winning a championship

[@Graybeard_]

I agree. If Paige stayed at UConn another year, her draft value would plummet. One maybe, possible rationale would be if she is actually seriously injured again, as that too would crash her draft value. Money wise, Paige will remain wealthy either way, so I too can't imagine that would factor in. Paige will be fine, even if she drops to the number two or even three draft spot.

[@NightOwl-xz5eb]

This year: anybody but Geno.

[@laidoffjournalist]

When I first heard about her possibly staying, I thought maybe she was pursuing a post-graduate degree (masters, PhD, or law school) and wanted the university to pay for it.

[@gordonhampton3429]

She might be working on a post graduate degree. She could be looking beyond basketball❤❤

[@MargueriteFahey]

If you believe that, I got a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn 😛

[@Zakarman43]

Can't blame her for not wanting to go to that S show in Dallas

[@ttna77]

Geno has Paige and Azzi (best 2 shooters in ncaa) on the wings and he lets the likes of a KK Arnold and Kaitlyn Chen ignore them and force the ball inside. His coaching and inability to see them ignoring Azzi especially wide open is killing Uconn.

[@Obilisk18]

The amount of money players like Paige and Caitlin make on their contracts, as a % of their overall income, is pretty small and will be pretty small no matter what happens in the collective bargaining agreement. Like, these are players who could/would easily sign for the vet minimum 6-7 years from now simply to play on a better team, and it would still be a net moneymaker. Beyond that, and this is no disrespect to Paige who I think is a great player, but you don't have to spend much time looking at her statlines to notice that there hasn't been a ton of improvement since her freshman year. Her EFG has improved but that's entirely down to her improved touch from 2. If anything, she's gotten less accurate from 3 and her FT% is down a fair bit since her Freshman year as well. That's the scoring stuff. On the passing front, her assists are down. Her rebounds are down. Her steals are down. Her points are flat. And all of those downs and flats are, partly, determined by another issue- her minutes are down. Freshman Paige played Caitlin Clark like minutes. Super-senior Paige isn't even hitting 30 per game. And that is down (pun intended), I'm sure, to her fragility. If you're in year 5, and year 4 of actual play, you can hide that stuff in the afterglow of what Paige should have been. But if you're in year 6, way more likely people notice what Paige actually became- an extremely talented player who might well be too fragile and too passive to make the leap to W superstardom. Way more likely that your stock takes a definitive drop. Like Robin notes, if Paige plays another year, still doesn't get a championship, and puts up another 20-4-4 statline, it starts to get embarrassing.

[@ColleenYourAccess2me]

Audi Crooks. #55 women's basketball player from Iowa State deserves some attention!

[@StanEngland]

And Lauren Betts of UCLA.

[@usveteran9893]

Paige's PPG is okay, but she lacks assists per game and is below in rebounds per game [based on previous seasons]. She doesn't seem to have the fire of past seasons.

[@cjohnson5431]

It wouldn't be embarrassing for her to stay at UCONN for one more year. Especially if she is still injured. If she goes to the draft injured, her stock would go down. So why not wait, and give her a chance to heal. Financially it would be better for her to stay. And I don't think she is worried about being embarrassed if she stayed. At the end of the day, she has ,and should do, what makes her happy, and that shouldn't depend on what anyone of us thinks !

[@almawasilewski]

Will Swoopes talk about 24 yr old playing 18 yrs old in College. You know, like she did to Caitlin, but Paige would actually be true. Paige needs to go to the WNBA and quit crying that shes not going to a stacked Team.

[@BBstillclockstea2]

Angel Reese stated yesterday on her podcast that ppl who say theirs more money in NIL versus pros are dumb . NiL becomes endorsements as a professional and you can sign longer than 4 year contracts because of NAME IMAGE AND LIKENESS ❤❤❤

[@smoothblink]

Right 💯

[@MP-bk5sf]

Except it's all evolving rapidly. Caitlin and Angel were only in the third class of NIL-ers, and between year one to year three it exploded exponentially. It still is. And now there's even MORE of a spotlight on college ball. So, honestly, it's everyone and anyone's guess.

[@HmmmAreYouSureAboutThat]

Reese herself didn’t always understand this concept, but I’m glad she eventually learned that third party endorsement deals can continue post-graduation.

[@BBstillclockstea2]

@ why say that in that way though? You don’t what she’s known she said she left bc she knew she could get longer NIL contracts people are so hateful

[@HmmmAreYouSureAboutThat]

⁠@@BBstillclockstea2 Earlier in college she said something different. So again, I’m glad she learned more about NIL and that players can take third party deals with them to the pros. NIL has been a learning experience for players, coaches and fans. That doesn’t make people dumb for not knowing the ins and outs. This has been a process.

[@ovation1888]

If Paige doesn’t get picked by Dallas, she may fall to 3 . With her age, health, injury, frequency LA may pass on her. They don’t know when Cameron Brink will be completely recovered and to have 2 star players possibly unavailable will not look well on management.

[@mrmojorisin8752]

IMO, Paige does NOT want to play in Texas.

[@paosaefong5125]

She doesn’t want to play with Dallas

[@almawasilewski]

Yeah, she needs to go to a good Team because she's not a Leader.

[@paosaefong5125]

@ 1st pick always go to the team that has the worst record

[@vernieistooold]

Only makes sense with the new CBA coming up in 2026. Paige would make significantly more money on the rookie contract. I do think Paige is a liberal in her political views and that is her prerogative. She might not like Texas.

[@PutzNJam]

Dallas is second only to Austin in progressive attitudes. From my experience. There are parts of Texas that is solid red hats, but Dallas is not one of them.

[@lindysmallwood2039]

Imao Paige will not grow if she stayed in college. I agree with Robin. Paige needs to go to WNBA no matter what draft choice she is. Money really isn’t an issue. At 23, Paige needs to move forward.

[@gualbertogarcia305]

Next Year in College They will be calling Her “GRANDMA BUECKERS”!

[@karencarlisle2887]

She is a nice girl. Im not going to badmouth her. Her and Clark r friends and respect each other. Not her fault Geno ran his mouth.

[@cjohnson5431]

However, I agree that with so many other players playing better than her right now, with Paige's past injuries and being so fragile, at the end of the day I don't think she will be in the top 5.

[@cooliscool115]

once drafted by dallas wings, paige will pull an eli manning.

[@franbyrne4168]

In Genos words that he used against CC.Paige won't be able for the physicality of the league

[@nikeyrawhide2873]

Political climate? Okay, I'm done..

[@mrmojorisin8752]

Buh bye. Paige does NOT want to play in Texas.

[@themebaby]

I think the smart move is for Paige to go back to UConn. Get in the weight room for another year. Strengthen her legs and arms. Go into the WNBA draft in 2026. She is still going to have a name and she is still going to be a great player. I don’t care if she wins a title…this year or next year. What I saw in 2024 was Caitlin Clark being pushed around by veteran WNBA players…and Caitlin Clark did not get injured. But I also saw the wonderfully talented Cameron Brink and Angel Reese end their seasons with injuries that both needed surgery to fix. Paige should make herself as durable as she can before entering the WNBA. Many great WNBA players retire through career ending injuries. It’s a very rough league. College is less rough. With 1 more year…she could build up her strength. She can make money in college and she will still be relevant. I doubt she stays at UConn. But if I were her…I would. It’s still basketball on an elite team. Then I would go to the WNBA. I don’t care if I’m first pick. If I was Paige Bueckers I would still be a great player…entering into the WNBA. I still would be relevant. I don’t really care what anyone else would think. I still would be Paige Bueckers.

[@almawasilewski]

She doesn't want to be a #1 pick, shes not a Leader and couldn't take a bad Team to the Playoffs. That's why she doesn't want to go to Dallas.

[@dmar191]

I’m sure the WNBA will simply raise the rookie salaries to the new level. I can’t imagine that won’t be part of the new agreement. The Texas women’s rights comment is just asinine and uneducated.

[@NolaDrake-d7j]

Why is that? I wouldn't lay a dime down in Texas. Women are dying, and they have found babies in dumpsters.

[@ThePattymom8]

Who cares.

[@sharonkeough8588]

I think she will leave . I hope so, love UCONN but it's time.

[@00126601528]

Why even talk about this nonsense

[@GhostofGerulaitis]

Sure. Why not? Let Paige play ten more years. Whatever. College basketball is just G league now. I don't care.

[@JonJon-wf5yj]

Good, great, then why comment?

[@GhostofGerulaitis]

@@JonJon-wf5yj Ditto.

[@kingofallmen1]

Universities are a fully facist system. They are tax funded, and they pay no taxes. You have a government funded institution getting cash injections from the pseudo free market. The only thing that saves professional sports will be a limited time in college, but they can extend that out. I would really consider getting all I could in college and skipping pro sports, which is in a downward trend.

[@almawasilewski]

When the Kelce Brothers asked Caitlin which Award was she most proud of ,she Said Her ACADEMIC American Achievement Award. That's what her College degrees and GPA meant the most.

[@kingofallmen1]

@almawasilewski yes, and almost all these degrees are useless

[@robertenvall1995]

She should move to Alaska and open a Bistro

[@TinfoilJones]

Doesn’t even matter .. she’s not going #1 in draft anyway .. she’s lucky she is in top 5 .. she’s not very good