USC Women's Basketball: Paige Bueckers Explains Why Beating Trojans Was "One Of The Most Rewarding Feelings" Ever

As the 2023-24 USC women's basketball program came up short of advancing to the NCAA Final Four in Monday's NCAA Elite Eight, Paige Bueckers and UConn emerged triumphant.

During a battle between two of college basketball's best players in Bueckers and USC freshman wing JuJu Watkins, Bueckers' Huskies edges the Trojans. Watkins scored 29 points while Bueckers notched 28 of her own in a clash worthy of the national stage. As one would expect, Bueckers was thrilled after the win, calling it one of the "most rewarding feelings."

“Today was one of the most rewarding feelings I’ve ever felt in my life, just seeing where I was a year ago, today, doing individual workouts, starting to feel the basketball again, get the ball in my hands again and play. Now I’m here with my teammates and coaching staff and going to the Final Four,” Bueckers said postgame, via Nick Kosko of On3 Sports.

While Bueckers has had tremendous success in her collegiate career, including being named the AP Player of the Year in 2021 as a freshman, she's also faced her share of challenges. Though Bueckers and the Huskies advanced to the National Championship game in 2022, they lost to South Carolina. Bueckers has undergone ankle surgery and later missed the entire 2022-2023 season with a torn ACL.

"It could be easy for me to sulk and be upset and just be sad about what life has thrown me this past couple years, or I could attack it with the mentality of being a leader, still being in the gym smiling, motivating people, being a leader in how I worked," Bueckers said.

Thanks to the win, Bueckers will have a shot at redemption for that 2022 title loss. First, they'll have to get through Caitlin Clark and Iowa in their Final Four matchup on Friday. If they can get the win, they'll go on to face South Carolina or NC State in this season's National Championship game.

For USC, they'll have to look ahead to next season after what was a strong 2023-24 campaign. They were unable to make the Final Four, but the Trojans advanced to the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight for the first time in 30 years.