Paige Bueckers and the third-ranked UConn Huskies advanced to the finals of the 2025 Big East Tournament on Sunday. They defeated the Villanova Wildcats with a dominating 82-54 final score at the Mohegan Sun Arena.
The Huskies star was intense from the get-go, engaging in trash talk in the first half of the semifinal contest. The TV broadcast caught her smack-talking her opponents after she sank a three-pointer with 5:18 left in the second quarter.
F**k tyou talking about?!” Bueckers mouthed after tallying 18 points in that moment. She finished the first half with 21 points.
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The Huskies led 47-37 thanks to Paige Bueckers’ explosive offensive game in the first half, and they extended their lead until the final minutes, securing their spot in the Big East Tournament final for the 14th straight time.
Paige Bueckers found help from Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd on the offensive end in against Villanova
Paige Bueckers finished that contest with a game-high 23 points, leading all scorers. She shot 10-for-17, including 2-for-4 from the three-point area. She also tallied six assists, one rebound, and one block in 33 minutes of playing time.
The UConn senior found help on the offensive end from Sarah Strong, who finished the game with 20 points in 28 minutes of play, shooting 8-for-14 from the field and 4-for-6 from the charity stripe. The game marked the 11th time the freshman scored at least 20 points in a game.
It was also a double-double night for Strong as she grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds to record her eighth double-double this season. She also tallied four assists, three steals, and two blocks.
Azzi Fudd also contributed 14 points for the Huskies, who pulled away and outscored Villanova 17-6 in the third quarter to extend their lead to 64-43 entering the fourth quarter. The Wildcats never managed to cut the Huskies’ lead to single digits and they were done for the season.
The Huskies will next face the Creighton Bluejays in the Big East Tournament finals on Monday.
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