With so many star players to focus on heading into the women’s March Madness tournament, it’s difficult to narrow down the favorites. During an episode of First Take, Los Angeles Sparks big and ESPN personality Chiney Ogwumike listed a few options before choosing her player to watch.
“This tournament, I feel like it’s built for Paige Bueckers,” Ogwumike said.
Ogwumike is likely on the right track with her high praise. Bueckers is a natural point guard who’s also a pure shotmaker, which is a thrilling combination to watch in the type of competition setting that March Madness creates.
Bueckers’ wildly impressive 27% usage rate, 30% assist rate, and nearly 8% turnover rate in 2024-25 don’t just prove that she’s actively involved in the offense and touching the ball often, but also that she’s doing so more efficiently than almost any other player in history. Those are far from the only aspects of her offensive game that could make this a record-setting tournament for Bueckers.
“She’s on pace for, with one more made free throw, to have a 50-40-90 type of season,” Ogwumike said, referring to achieving a 50% field goal percentage, 40% 3-point percentage, and 90% free throw percentage in a season.
Only 11 players have reached this statistical feat in NBA, WNBA, and G League history.
The former Stanford star also stated her belief that a healthy and supportive roster, which includes standouts like Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong, can help Bueckers perform at her highest level and lead UConn to its first championship since 2016. Bueckers should also be motivated by the chance to cap off her college career with a ring before heading to the pros.
“I feel like this could be a breakout party for Paige. Reintroduce herself, especially as she’s going to be introduced as the number one pick, very likely, in the WNBA draft,” Ogwumike said.
Bueckers’ final NCAA tournament is even more significant considering how much playing time she’s had to miss due to injury, including a left meniscus tear in 2021 that required surgery and a torn ACL that cost her the entire 2022-23 campaign.
“She’s finally healthy,” show host Molly Qerim added. “The girl went through two traumatic injuries.”
With everything lining up in Paige Bueckers’ favor, all eyes will be on how far she and the Huskies can go in this year’s tournament.
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