Geno Auriemma praised Paige Bueckers’ “delusional” confidence, calling it her biggest strength that made the Dallas Wings rookie unstoppable since her UConn Huskies days.

Paige Bueckers has emerged as one of the biggest stars in the WNBA. And surprisingly, she has only played for one season so far! Making her debut in 2025, the Dallas Wings’ rookie mesmerizes fans with her sublime hooping skills. So much so that Bueckers was honored as a Top 30 NCAA Woman of the Year Standout.

And while most wondered how she was able to do so much damage to her opponents, the answer lay in her college team. Playing for the UConn Huskies, the 23-year-old was well-trained and became championship material under the able guidance of Geno Auriemma.

In a recent interaction with Bueckers, Auriemma exchanged some significant pleasantries. However, he also revealed one important trait about the Wings’ star that contributed to her success in the professional circuit.

Geno Auriemma Details ‘Delusional’ Facts About Paige Bueckers

Despite leaving for the WNBA, the bond between the 23-year-old and UConn has not changed. She often visits her college and takes time out to practice with the team. Only recently, Bueckers was spotted posing with the UConn male practice squad.
Geno Auriemma and Paige Bueckers (Photo by Imagn Images)
Now, apart from sweating it out on the hardwood, the Wings’ star also reunited with Auriemma. And immediately, started to trade friendly jabs at each other. In one such moment, the Huskies’ coach stated that initially, Bueckers was pretty much delusional. And this made her one of the most confident players ever.

“Now, that’s one of her biggest strengths. She’s delusional. And one of her biggest strengths is that she doesn’t let anything shake her confidence. She’s the most confident human being, probably, that I’ve been around for a long, long time,” Auriemma said.

However, having said that, Auriemma also stated how much confidence was stopping her from unlocking her full potential. He believes a player must experience deep pain to achieve greatness.

Paige Bueckers Finally Got Hurt By Geno Auriemma’s Words

In the NCAA championship, UConn faced Tennessee, losing 80-76. And as Bueckers dropped 14 points, Auriemma called her out. He pointed out that there were certain supposedly ‘best players’ in the side who did underperform. And if the side has to progress, they need to play better.
Geno Auriemma and Paige Bueckers (Photo by Imagn Images)
Surely, while Auriemma did not mention Bueckers’ name, it did hit a nerve. Accepting the challenge, the Wings’ star worked on herself and soon became one of the best NCAA talents of all time.

Reflecting on the same, Auriemma stated, “So I took a shot at it and said she’s either going to quit, transfer, or go downhill, or she’s going to change. So I tried to hurt her.”

Well, the WNBA fans must feel thankful to the Huskies coach. After all, without that incident, we wouldn’t have the Paige Bueckers we know today.