Geno Auriemma calls out Paige Bueckers ahead of Sweet 16 fourth quarter vs. Oklahoma

UConn is just one quarter away from advancing in the NCAA Tournament. Oklahoma has been a tough matchup for the Huskies thus far, not quite yet finding a knockout punch. It’s an area Geno Auriemma would like Paige Bueckers to take over but there is still work to do.

Auriemma even jokingly called out his star player heading into the fourth quarter. He even asked ESPN’s Holly Rowe if she was interviewing the right persons. Bueckers should have been in front of the microphone, in his opinion.

“I think it’s better,” Auriemma said of the performance of Paige Bueckers. “There’s times when she has the ball and the defense, they know she’s not gonna shoot it. And I’m thinking. Shoot it! You know, you’re open. And you know, so, hopefully in the fourth quarter…I dunno. Maybe you should talk to her?!”

The overall message from Auriemma was a positive one heading into the final frame. UConn does still have a double-digit lead but knows Oklahoma can come knocking at any point. Shots are going to have to fall, sticking to the gameplan with a spot in the Elite Eight on the line.

“Well, I thought we made a couple really silly mistakes defensively in the first half. And even still, I thought our defense was really good. They’re a high-scoring team. I just thought at some point, we’re gonna start making some of the shots that we’re missing. I mean, we haven’t shot the ball this poorly all season long. But this is what happens when you get here, right?

“So, we’ve just gotta keep doing what we’re doing. And eventually,y if we keep getting those same looks, they’re gonna start to drop. And I think we’ve been a little better defensively at putting pressure on the ball itself. So, we’ve got a long way to go, but you know, I was really proud of them, the way we came out.”

These types of situations are nothing new for UConn. Last season saw them make the Final Four and the goal is to get back there. Maybe even go a step further with the program’s last national championship coming nearly a decade ago in 2016.

Auriemma is focused on taking down Oklahoma at the moment, though. Bueckers has a chance to completely take over at the right time for her team, ending any kind of notion of a fourth quarterback comeback for the Sooners.