In one of the most emotional games of March Madness so far, No. 2 UConn defeated No. 10 South Dakota State 91-57 in front of a sold-out crowd at Gampel Pavilion to advance to the Sweet 16 for the fifth consecutive season.
Huskies star guard Paige Bueckers laced up her shoes for the final time at Storrs and put up 34 points in her last home game, becoming only the second player in program history to record multiple 30-point games in the NCAA tournament.
Bueckers caught on fire early in the game and ended up sitting out most of the fourth quarter with the Huskies holding a near-40 point lead at that point. However, the fifth-year senior was put in one more time by coach Geno Auriemma to give her the special moment of receiving a standing ovation and to let her feel a "sense of appreciation" from the crowd.
Auriemma, typically stoic in nature, looked visibly emotional during his joint press conference with Bueckers after the blowout win. When Bueckers finished answering questions and got up to head into the locker room, the Huskies coach appeared to be holding back tears watching his star player leave:
Coach Geno Auriemma holding back tears as Paige leaves the presser 🥹 🫶#MarchMadness x @UConnWBB pic.twitter.com/F1vYCtfY5v
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) March 25, 2025
Such a special moment between Bueckers and her longtime coach.
And it won't be their last, with Bueckers and the Huskies taking on No. 3 Oklahoma on Saturday amid their hopeful NCAA title run.
"I think Paige was rewarded for all the work she's put in since she's been here and how much she loves the game," Auriemma told reporters. "I've not met anybody who works harder, loves the game more, spends more time in the gym. So her time in front of Connecticut fans ended exactly the way it's supposed to end, and I'm really happy for her."
Fans were heartbroken to see the Huskies coach so torn up:
The slow pan to Geno tearing up I’m gonna end it all soon pic.twitter.com/TEu0RjJmas
— ash ♛ (@ashtalkshoops) March 25, 2025
😭😭😭that's his grandbaby😭😭SOLD AS A SET. PLEASE DO NOT SEPARATE. pic.twitter.com/pWS2Afbbuy
— Ntsika (@Snipershot30) March 25, 2025
https://t.co/6NJvAEVxEw pic.twitter.com/uA5cwzpD9v
— marie (@mariev325) March 25, 2025
There are no words 🥺 Greatness. #MarchMadness https://t.co/ZmDFcWQ4BB
— Dina Gentile (@DinaGentile) March 25, 2025
UConn seniors final home game, Geno crying in the presser, Juju injured. I don’t think I’ve been this sad in a while
— Steven Do (@steven_smartkid) March 25, 2025
More March Madness on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as UConn’s Geno Auriemma Held Back Tears Watching Paige Bueckers Leave Presser.
