Paige Bueckers could still decide to forgo the WNBA Draft and return to play a fifth season of women’s college basketball during the 2025-26 season. Should she choose to do so, an unexpected transfer portal suitor has emerged!
Would the soon-to-be No. 1 overall pick consider a final year of eligibility at a mid-major? The grandmother of Georgia Southern’s head coach would like to know.
Bueckers, now 23, is one of the best women’s college basketball players of all-time. The Minnesota-native was first noticed by her eventual high school coach as a second grader. Local reporters took note of her talent as a sixth grader. Nobody in the history of sports has ever been more right about a first-year middle schooler.
Fast forward more than a decade and Paige Bueckers is a star. The 6-foot point guard will leave UConn as the fastest player in program history to 2,000 career points. She is a Naismith Trophy winner, the Big East Player of the Year and a unanimous First-Team All-American in multiple years.
Bueckers is currently averaging 19.8 points on 54.5% shooting, 4.4 rebounds and and 4.7 assists for a Huskies team that reached the Elite Eight with a real shot to win the national title.
The latest performance from Bueckers was one of her best. She dropped 40 points with six rebounds, three steals, two blocks and one assist to lead UConn to a blowout win over Oklahoma in the Sweet 16.
PAIGE BUECKERS (3/29/25) pic.twitter.com/mStnftOmSJ
— @balapattyszn (@balapattyvids) March 29, 2025
Even though the Huskies are just one win away from the Final Four, a majority of the conversation unfortunately focuses around what Paige Bueckers is going to do next.
“well good morning to you too” 🤣 can this girl get a break from media? she is tired from them lmfao pic.twitter.com/w2wSf1bSgz
— k bueckers (@PaigeBFan5) March 31, 2025
Technically speaking, the redshirt fifth-year senior has one year of eligibility left. It would be shocking if she decided to forgo the WNBA Draft (where she will be the No. 1 overall pick) to return to UConn, but it could happen. Or…. Paige Bueckers could enter the transfer portal and play a fifth season elsewhere!
Hana Haden is the head women’s basketball coach at Georgia Southern. Her grandmother, who is likely 75+ years old, wants to know whether the Husky legend would consider playing for the Eagles.
My grandma just called to ask if Paige Bueckers would be in the portal and if so do we have a chance at her 😂
— 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐇𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐧 (@CoachHanaHaden) March 30, 2025
I love everything about this. Her lack of understanding about the general landscape of women’s college basketball and the WNBA in addition to the transfer portal is adorable.
Haden’s grandmother is trying so hard to relate. She so badly wants her to succeed and wants to believe Bueckers would love nothing more than to play for her granddaughter. Who wouldn’t??
Forget the Dallas Wings, it’s all about the Georgia Southern Eagles!