Coach Geno Auriemma didn't hold back on criticizing his UConn team — his best player, specifically — in the wake of yet another disappointing loss to start the 2023-24 season.
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UConn lost to Texas 80-68 over the weekend, falling to 4-3 on the year — the fastest UConn has ever lost three games in program history. Afterward, Auriemma called Paige Bueckers' performance "lousy."
"I thought [Bueckers] was lousy today. Quite honestly, I thought she was bad, and I told her that," Auriemma told CT Insider after the Texas game. "You know, Paige isn't good when she needs seven dribbles to get a shot off. Paige isn't good when she's got to, you know, take on guys one-against-two (or) one-against-three going in the lane. You know, forcing things, hoping to get to the free-throw line. That's not her game. That's not who she is."
That stats back up Auriemma's sentiment. In the Texas loss, Bueckers — who was the 2021 National Player of the Year before missing all of last season with a torn ACL — finished the game with 13 points on 4-of-11 shooting, to go along with four rebounds, four assists and two blocks.
While these stats are subpar compared with what Bueckers is used to producing, anybody who watched the UConn loss against Texas could see that, as Auriemma alluded to, Bueckers looked as if she was trying to do (and be) everything at once for UConn — which led to some poor decisions and wasted possessions.
Of course, Bueckers does need to do a lot in order for UConn to win — especially because they've been riddled with injuries thus far. Azzi Fudd, UConn's other best player, tore her ACL last month and will miss the entire season. That has forced Bueckers to shoulder an even heavier scoring responsibility.
Auriemma believes that Bueckers needs to trust her teammates' scoring potential if UConn is to realize success. Last week, Auriemma told CT Insider, "??It's important that we get other people to contribute more and to feel more confident doing what they're good at, you know. It's noticeable on the road, you know, how difficult it is for some of these guys. And, again, there's no substitute. It's not possible to beat good teams unless we get more contributions from other people."
It remains to be seen whether UConn can rebound from this tough start and string of unfortunate injuries. If they do manage to do so, it will be because Bueckers took her head coach's harsh words to heart.
