Paige Bueckers isn’t thinking about the WNBA just yet: ‘Trying to cherish it’

Paige Bueckers knows everyone wants to talk to her about the WNBA, but she’s not quite ready to focus on that yet.

In an interview with People published March 17, Bueckers said she’s locked in on her final March Madness tournament, which begins this month. Bueckers hopes to lead the UConn Huskies to her first-ever national championship. 

“It’s like you know the end is near, so you’re trying to cherish it and drag it out as long as possible because you don’t want it to end,” she told the outlet.

Bueckers added that she’s spending her time focusing in finding ways to enjoy the weeks she has left in school and in the tournament.

“There’s a lot of pressures that can come with it,” she explained. “Win or go home. It’s my last one ever. There really is no do-overs, so just trying not to think about that and really just playing with passion, joy and to have fun.”

She said that her family helps to keep her grounded, especially her three younger siblings, Ryan, Drew, and Lauren, who are super “disconnected” from her life as a basketball star. “They don’t really talk basketball with me. They just are my little siblings. They just bring me a whole bunch of joy. They have this little kid joy about them.”

Bueckers also acknowledged UConn’s fans, who often travel to their games and somehow help the team “feel like at road games it feels like a home game just because of how much support we get.”

The young guard is predicted to be the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s WNBA Draft, which will take place in New York City on April 14.