Dawn Staley highlights challenge of facing Paige Bueckers: ‘Very, very dangerous’

There may be a pretty big football game on Sunday afternoon, but leading up to the Super Bowl, it’s women’s college hoops that will have the attention of the sports world as No. 1 South Carolina faces No. 11 UConn in a battle of two WBB powerhouses.

The Gamecocks have reloaded after their Final Four run last season and are 22-0 to start the 2023-24 year. However, they’ll face perhaps their toughest test to date hosting a Connecticut women’s team that’s won 16 of their last 17 games. Of course, there’s one player in particular who makes for a matchup nightmare every time she steps on the court for the Huskies.

The player is Paige Bueckers, the UConn superstar and extremely high-level scorer. Ahead of the game, South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley explained that slowing down the Huskies’ senior leader is priority No. 1 in order to get the victory.

“She’s good. I mean, there’s there’s no fat to Paige’s game. Like, it’s all lean,” Staley said of Bueckers. “Like, everything that she does has a purpose. There’s no wasted movements out there on the floor.”

Bueckers is obviously a great scorer, but Staley also notes her well-rounded abilities in every facet of the game.

“So, if you have some slippage defensively, she’s going to make you pay with her shots, she’s going to make you pay with her ability and her vision, she’s going to make you pay with rebounding the basketball,” Staley continued. “She’s that kind of player, just super well-put-together.”

Plus, with shooting numbers like the ones she puts up, UConn has a major weapon in their lead scorer.

“I do think she’s put the work in to have the type of performances like they have. Like, to have guard to shoot 50, almost 50, from from from 3, 52-53-54 from the floor — very, very dangerous,” added Staley.

Heading into the contest in Columbia, Paige Bueckers is averaging an even 20 points per game this season, along with 4.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.3 blocks — a little bit of everything for the UConn veteran, as Staley outlined.

Of course, she’s also shooting the skin off the basketball in 2023-24 with a 54.5% field goal percentage, on the high end of Staley’s estimate, comprised of 59.3% shooting inside the three-point arc while draining 44.9% of her attempts outside of it, where she’s taking over four shots per game. It’s not wise of other teams to foul her either, as Bueckers makes 83.5% at the free throw line as well.

One of college hoops’ best players meets the undoubted top team to continue a terrific afternoon and evening of sports on Sunday.