Legendary UConn coach Geno Auriemma hasn’t noticed anything different with senior guard Paige Bueckers as she prepares for her final NCAA Tournament.

The way Bueckers operates now is similar to how she was as a freshman phenom who took the Huskies to the Final Four in 2021. 

“She’s the way she’s always been,” Auriemma said Friday. “If you see her runs through the tournament, they’ve all been great. One thing you can say about Paige is, generally speaking, she saves her best basketball for the biggest moments. Nobody does it 100 percent of the time, but she pretty much — you can count on that.”

Part of what has made Bueckers so good is her unwavering competitive edge.