The desert air in Phoenix, Arizona is roaring a little louder during NCAA Women’s Final Four weekend. There’s heat, hype, and a whole lot of college basketball. And it’s in the middle of everything Paige Bueckerswho spent the last few years as one of them most famous faces in sports. Last year, the former University of Connecticut standout made her WNBA rookie season debut with the Dallas Wings. Now, on the other side of the NCAA, he brings his confidence and pro-level insights to his former teammates.
However, this year’s tournament did not end as many expected. UConn’s loss to South Carolina on Friday ended the team’s winning streak, falling one game short of the championship game.
“Each of them has a bright future ahead of them, and I know they’re going to use it for the better,” Bueckers tells SELF. “I’ve been there. I failed. I didn’t succeed, and we’re just learning, developing and constantly moving.”
Loss and disappointment it’s just part of the game, Bueckers explains. And for a team that finished the season with an exceptional 54-game winning streak and a 38-1 record, Bueckers has no doubt it will only make his former teammates stronger.
“It definitely makes you hungry,” he says. “It gives you extra drive and motivation. And sometimes adversity is the best teacher.”
SELF caught up with Bueckers amid the frenzy of the Final Four to talk about the tournament, life beyond basketballand him WNBA season forward.
SELF: Now that you’ve finished your rookie season in the WNBA, how has your approach to preparation — physically and mentally — evolved since college?
Paige Bueckers: I think it’s definitely due to injury and I don’t take anything in life for granted. Every single day you wake up is a blessing. And it’s important not to have a sense of entitlement. It is a huge honor to wake up and live your dreams of playing basketball as a profession. So all of that, and just taking care of my body and being extremely disciplined about my habits, every single day is who I want to be.
Last year was tough because I had to deal with not having a successful winning season and being part of a rebuild. It doesn’t happen overnight. I have learned not to be results driven and to remain consistent and disciplined in being who I am regardless of the results. It is an absolute joy and gratitude that I can show up with the same mentality and attitude, whether we have a winning or a losing season.
