Move over courtroom dramas, the real theatrics are happening on the hardwood. Geno Auriemma, the Hall of Fame maestro behind UConn women’s basketball, has once again taken the mic to address a pressing matter in collegiate sports: NCAA referees treating his star guard, Paige Bueckers, like she’s wearing an invisibility cloak.
Paige, a walking highlight reel and a certified bucket-getter, has racked up over 80 career games and a modest 229 free throws. But wait, here’s where the plot thickens: Caitlin Clark sinks more free throws than that in one yoga session, and Juju Watkins probably gets fouled brushing her teeth. Yet somehow, Bueckers’ nightly beatdowns go largely unnoticed by the men and women in stripes.
“She’s out there getting hacked like it’s a rugby match,” Auriemma fumed during a recent postgame press conference. “If these refs are waiting to throw her a bone on senior night, they’d better speed it up. She’s only got a few months left in college ball, and the way things are going, she might graduate before they call a foul on her behalf.”
Referees vs. Bueckers: A Comedy of Errors
The latest chapter of this saga unfolded in UConn’s clash against USC. Paige dazzled with a smooth 22-point performance, weaving through defenders like they were traffic cones. At one point, she casually stepped back for a gorgeous three-pointer. But alas, the whistle blew for a three-second violation, a rule so obscure that even the refs probably had to double-check its existence.
To add insult to injury, Bueckers tallied two personal fouls of her own in the game. Auriemma, never one to shy away from theatrics, quipped, “It’s like the refs think, ‘Oh, that’s Paige Bueckers. She’ll score anyway, so let’s just let her get clobbered.’”
According to Auriemma, Bueckers might just be the most mis-officiated player in the history of hoops. And honestly? He might have a point. After all, the numbers don’t lie, but maybe the refs’ glasses do.
Bueckers: Stoic Amidst the Chaos
Despite her coach’s fiery advocacy, Bueckers herself remains as cool as a cucumber. After a recent game against Jackson State, where she was fouled an eyebrow-raising eight times, Paige shrugged it off with the grace of someone who’s seen it all.
“I know teams try to be aggressive with me,” she said, sporting a few battle scars on her shoulder like they were accessories. “They probably figure they can get away with a little extra because the refs don’t want to blow the whistle every possession. But hey, I’ve got to play through it and stick to my game.”
Translation? You can smack her, shove her, and knock her down, but Paige will still drain that jumper in your face and flash her trademark smile on the way back down the court.
The Bigger Picture
Let’s not forget, Bueckers is fresh off a remarkable comeback from an ACL tear, and she’s already posting numbers that belong in the Louvre. In her first game back, she dropped 32 points and 10 rebounds against Syracuse, reminding everyone why she’s the 2021 National Player of the Year. Yet, the lack of calls remains a head-scratcher.
It’s early in the 2024-25 season, and while the Huskies have started strong, Geno’s frustration is likely to boil over again. But if there’s one thing we know about Paige Bueckers, it’s that she won’t let a few missed calls—or several dozen—stop her from being the baller that she is.
As for the referees, maybe it’s time they upgrade their contact prescriptions or start carrying whistles with a Paige-specific setting. Until then, Auriemma will be waiting courtside, ready to remind them that basketball isn’t meant to be a full-contact sport. Or is it?
