UConn star player Paige Bueckers gets a shoutout from a former Caitlin Clark teammate as they mop the floor with the USC Trojans to advance to the Final Four stage of the NCAA Tournament.
Katie Lou Samuelson, who sued to play with Caitlin Clark in the Indiana Fever, gave Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies a shoutout following their victory over USC, securing their sport closer to their dream championship.
“HUSKIEEEESSSSS 💙” Samuelson captioned her IG story.
Katie Lou Samuelson currently plays for the Seattle Storm, having signed with the team during free agency in February 2025. She described her return to the Storm as a “full circle moment,” as she previously played for them during the 2021 season.
The UConn Huskies secured their spot in the Final Four with a commanding 78-64 victory over the USC Trojans in the Elite Eight. Paige Bueckers led the charge with an outstanding performance, scoring 31 points, dishing out 6 assists, and adding 4 steals.
Paige Bueckers Confirms Commitment for WNBA Draft
Will UConn star player Paige Bueckers be the first overall pick for the 2025 WNBA draft, or will she skip this year? That used to be the burning question from fans, until recently when Bueckers confirmed that she would take part in this year’s draft.
As reported by ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo, Bueckers confirmed her participation in this year’s draft, ending rumors of her spending one more year in college.
There were rumors earlier this year suggesting that Paige Bueckers, the star guard from UConn, might forgo the 2025 WNBA Draft due to her preference for playing with the Los Angeles Sparks.
These speculations arose because the Sparks, despite their struggles, were not guaranteed the top pick in the draft lottery. Bueckers, projected as the likely No. 1 overall pick, was reportedly hesitant to join the Dallas Wings, who held the top odds for the first pick.
The emergence of lucrative NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals in college sports added weight to these rumors, as Bueckers could potentially earn more by staying in college for another year. Her decision to remain at UConn for the 2024–2025 season fueled further speculation about her draft intentions and her desire to align with a team of her choice in the future.
So far this season, Paige Bueckers is averaging 19.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 2.1 steals per game while shooting 54.5% from the field and 42.5% from three-point range.
For more basketball content, click on Hardwood Heroics. Sabel Reyes can be reached through [email protected]. Other websites under the Sports Heroics umbrella are Gridiron Heroics and Wisconsin Heroics.
Sabel has been working as a field reporter for People’s Television Network (PTV), mainly about the Philippine Basketball Association since 2016 and has been elevated to Executive Producer for sports in 2022. Aside from being on top of the Philippine sports scene, she is also a running enthusiast. You can also follow her on X at @SabelReyes2 and Instagram at @msabelreyes.
