When No. 5 UConn walked into Knoxville, they had an 11-game winning streak, and history was on their side. But by the final buzzer, that history was rewritten. No. 19 Tennessee took down the Huskies 80-76, ending an 18-year drought against their longtime rivals. But who’s at stake? It’s Paige Bueckers this time.
It’s not something we’re declaring—it’s what she stated herself. In a postgame interview after the loss against Tennessee, Bueckers shared, “I feel like it was more myself, taking myself out of rhythm.” Strange but true. The projected No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft had a rare off night. She shot just 5 of 16 from the field and ended up contributing 14 points while grabbing four rebounds.
BREAKING: Tennessee has defeated UConn for the first time since 2007! pic.twitter.com/HrX7mqRkbC
— I talk hoops (@trendyhoopstars) February 7, 2025
“Shots were short, should have attacked more, got to the free throw line a little bit,” she added. Instead of blaming foul trouble or Tennessee’s defense, she turned the spotlight on herself. But she did admit that the opposing team had an edge in defensive intensity.
“They crashed the boards really hard, and we didn’t box out like we were supposed to,” Bueckers said.
Despite Sarah Strong leading UConn with 18 points and nine rebounds, the Huskies were outworked on the glass, losing the rebounding battle 46-34. Not just that—the team also endured a brutal four-and-a-half-minute scoring drought in the third quarter, allowing the Lady Vols to take control.
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