JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
It's Final Four weekend for college basketball. One of the best players on the floor tonight? - Paige Bueckers. She's played for the University of Connecticut since 2020 and has accomplished pretty much everything except a championship. The Huskies face top-ranked UCLA in the semis, hoping to advance to Sunday's title game. Steve Futterman reports.
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UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER: And at guard...
STEVE FUTTERMAN, BYLINE: She is without doubt one of the biggest names in women's basketball.
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UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER: ...Paige Bueckers.
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FUTTERMAN: At 6 feet, Paige Bueckers, with her trademark braids and ponytail flipping back and forth, is a recognizable figure at every UConn game, often weaving her way down the court before suddenly stopping and shooting.
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UNIDENTIFIED COMMENTATOR: Here comes Bueckers. Connecticut with numbers. Bueckers pull up - is good.
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UNIDENTIFIED COMMENTATOR: Paige Bueckers taking over.
FUTTERMAN: This season, the 23-year-old guard is connecting on nearly 54% of her shots, among the best in the nation. Her fame is international. Aija Veiksane is here in Tampa this week to watch the Final Four. She grew up in Latvia, where she played basketball. She now lives in Madrid.
In Spain, are followers of women's basketball - are they aware of her?
AIJA VEIKSANE: Oh, yes, very much so. I think she's really talented. I mean, she's very versatile. She can go right, she can shoot. Her height is amazing. I mean, she's pretty much a full package.
FUTTERMAN: By the age of 14, Bueckers was already on the radar of college coaches. When she graduated high school in Minnesota, she was the No. 1 recruit in the country. She came to UConn with enormously high expectations, and in her freshman year she exceeded them, averaging 20 points a game. She led UConn to the Final Four before losing to Arizona and won all sorts of postseason awards.
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UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: And the ESPY goes to Paige Bueckers.
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FUTTERMAN: At the ESPN ESPY Awards, Bueckers won for best female athlete in all of college sports and gave a memorable speech, paying tribute to Black players who she said historically never receive proper acclaim.
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PAIGE BUECKERS: As a white woman who leads a Black-led sport and celebrated here, I want to show a light on Black women. They don't get the media coverage that they deserve.
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FUTTERMAN: In 2022 came a major challenge. Bueckers tore her ACL, forcing her to skip a year. But last season, she came back, hardly missing a beat. Again, she led UConn to the Final Four before losing to Iowa and Caitlin Clark, who she has known and played with and against since they were in middle school. After last season, Bueckers was eligible to enter the WNBA draft. Would she leave or stay? Bueckers announced her decision at a UConn game.
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BUECKERS: I know everybody wants me to address the elephant in the room.
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BUECKERS: Unfortunately, this will not be my last senior night here at UConn.
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FUTTERMAN: That set the stage for this season. Her success has brought financial rewards. With college players now able to monetize their name, image and likeness, Bueckers this year is estimated to be earning around $1.4 million. Now comes her final chance to win that championship. UConn, with its rich history, has won a record 11 women's titles, but none since 2016. Bueckers wants to win No. 12.
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BUECKERS: Anything less than a national championship is really a disappointment. As players, that's what you play for and what you want to live up to.
FUTTERMAN: After this weekend here in West Florida, Paige Bueckers' college career will be over, but there won't be much time to rest. She's expected to be the top pick in the WNBA draft on April 14 and then make her professional debut in May.
For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Tampa.
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