How does Paige compare to Diana, Maya, and Breanna?

[Cedar]

Many of us know that Paige is a phenomenal basketball player, and we are hoping that she has a complete recovery from her surgery to repair her torn ACL.

How great a player is she?

The charts below show how Paige compares to arguably the three greatest players in UCONN women’s basketball history: in chronological order, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, and Breanna Stewart. I used data from Paige’s first two seasons at UCONN, and data from the four-year UCONN careers of Diana, Maya, and Breanna.

Paige averages more assists per game than Diana, Maya, or Breanna averaged. Paige also has a better A/TO ratio, and she has the highest effective field goal percentage of the four players. Her true shooting percentage is identical to Maya Moore’s. Paige also averages almost 2 steals per game, very close to Maya’s UCONN career average.

Paige has better offensive and defensive ratings than Diana Taurasi had during her UCONN career.

Paige’s numbers would be even more impressive if she had not been hampered by injuries. During her freshman season, she had an ankle injury that required surgery during the offseason. In her sophomore season, she suffered a tibial plateau fracture and a lateral meniscus tear, which caused her to miss 19 games. Her scoring averages dropped from 20 points per game during her freshman year to 14.6 points per game during her sophomore year. Her 3-point shooting percentage also dropped significantly, from 46.4% to 35.3%. In contrast, Paige’s field goal percentage rose in her sophomore season, to 54.4%, from 52.4% in her freshman season.

It will be interesting to see how effective Paige is at scoring when she returns to play for the Huskies next season.

Paige can cement her UCONN legacy by leading the Huskies to a national championship, and many of us are hoping she can achieve this goal. But even if she doesn’t, Paige has already established herself as one of the greatest players in the history of UCONN women’s basketball.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Paige did something none of the other three did--she was the NPOY as a freshman. On the other hand, Paige hasn't won a national championship yet. Maya won 2, Dee won 3, and Stewie won 4. Let's see what Paige does in the remainder of her career. She may get the 4th spot on Mount Rushmore.

 

[hoophuskee]

I love Paige. Love her. Her game awesome. But a top characteristic to think about regarding player ability is player availability.

It hurts to say this because I love her game so much.

 

[Bone Dog]

in awe as I am of Paige, the others achieved great things, and she has yet to do so. Stats don’t weigh as much as NCs.

 

[Chax]

I don't want and will not use the term "generational" player because we all know that word has been discussed to an exhausting degree. That being said, whatever the equal and appropriate term for that is, Paige Bueckers has shown that she is one of those players regardless of what she does or doesn't achieve in her collegiate career. One always has to take into account that basketball is a team sport and not an individual one. That being said, one of the few (if not the largest) standards in terms of being a "great" that has been set by choosing to go to the University of Connecticut is the total amount of championships you have won by the end of your collegiate career. That is the choice and challenge that every standout player knowingly takes on and accepts which is due to the history and excellence that Geno Auriemma has achieved. In my opinion, it is a high risk and high reward reality of choosing to be a part of the greatest women's basketball program in the history of the sport. I want to preface to the highest degree that Paige is beyond outstanding and that wording doesn't do it justice. But the reality is that she will not be able to achieve the level of greatness that Breanna Stewart did in terms of winning four national championships (which all knowledgeable UConn fans know she was the major but not sole factor in those four championships (shout out to MoJeff and Morgan Tuck). Also want to point out that there probably isn't another individual in the world who understands that better than Stewie. If I'm correct, I believe there was one championship where she voiced that MoJeff should have been the most outstanding player instead of her, so she definitely gets it. When it comes to comparing her to Maya, Geno has said before that there is only one player in the history of the program that has come in completely prepared for the collegiate level and that is Maya. While she is the player with the most points in the history of the program, she accomplished that in, quite possibly, the most admirable way which is an ungodly stoic nature I've never seen by another individual. I remember Doris Burke driving that point in whenever Maya's career was ended in the Final Four to Notre Dame. Lastly, and in my opinion the greatest UConn player of all time, Diana Taurasi was the greatest player in the history of the women's game and that is due to her unmatched ability of elevating and making her teammates better. Anyone who follows UConn basketball knows who her teammates were during her last two seasons. Ask a general fan and I highly doubt they'd be able to name one. I also do recall Geno mentioning something about this in an interview at one point. To stir things up a little bit, if you put Diana or Maya on the teams Stewie was on, each would've easily won four championship. I do believe Breanna would've won two being on the teams Maya was on but don't know about more if it would have been more than that. But its all a guessing game so no one (obviously including me) really knows.

I definitely did not intend on this post being as extensive as it is and will be so my apologies but this topic is something that I have been marinating on since the end of Paige's first season but I told myself I would never bring up until the end of Paige's career. I definitely do not disregard the stats that Paige has achieved during the two years she has been healthy enough to play but that being said I personally (and anyone and everyone is allowed to disagree with me) I will reiterate that Paige has so far not shown or achieved the highest level of excellence that has been set by the three greateset legends that have come before her in terms of their first two years of playing healthy. Again, she has only been able to play two years so it would be unfair for anyone to conclude anything about her legacy in comparison to those three, but right now she is below those three players, in my opinion which isn't worth anything. Again, only two years of being able to play so nothing is set in stone. To me, the Mount Rushmore of UConn basketball is Diana, Breanna, Maya, and Sue. I do not believe she has the time in terms of eligibility to surpass any of those players except Sue but I am very aware that this is solely my opinion and I am humble enough to know that I cannot predict the future. She can match Maya but that would be a very back and forth conversation. All I know is that I am very interested to see where she ultimately ends up in terms of the comparison between the three greatest players in the history of the program. Here's the thing though, it says a whole lot about her that she's even in these type of talks with only two years under her belt. If she had gone to pretty much any other program sans Tennessee (Chamique Holdsclaw) or USC (Cheryl Miller) she would easily already be considered the greatest player in the history of that program. But, again, that's the challenge one accepts and standard one understands when choosing to play for UConn. Regardless of where she does or doesn't end up in people's minds in terms of this particular comparison, she will always be included in this very rare and select group. I honestly don't believe she even cares about anything like this except to win at least one (again another testament to her greatness). To me, that says more than anything else. She has already cemented herself as a legend and, when it comes down to it, that says it all.

Woo lordy, I had too many beers tonight being out at my favorite local dive bar dealing with the return of my mother's breast cancer. Again, please accept my apologies for this novel. Not my intention. I hope everyone who reads this the greatest of health, happiness and success. I'm gonna see myself to bed now.

 

[SVCBeercats]

How great a player is she?

Maya, Diana, and Stewie's teams won multiple NCAA championships. They were durable. Paige is not. Paige is promise and potential. They were actualization.

 

[Littlemin]

Maya, Diana, and Stewie's teams won multiple NCAA championships. They were durable. Paige is not. Paige is promise and potential. They were actualization.

On the money, not a popular position here by any means but the truth. You have to do it to be included with those players, not given that distinction because maybe you could have. And obviously, Bueckers still has the opportunity to make that happen going forward.

 

[eebmg]

Maya, Diana, and Stewie's teams won multiple NCAA championships. They were durable. Paige is not. Paige is promise and potential. They were actualization.

Durability is another way of saying they were lucky. Paige is a heck of alot more than promise and potential. NPOY as a Freshman and played even better starting off her Sophomore year. Her sadly shortened career is littered with amazing clutch performances coming back from injuries the others did not have to deal with. Brilliant play I keep replaying far more than the other 3.


And NC's depend on team mates and circumstances such as the overall competition.

 

[Skeets]

One thing that surprised me is that DT (who I consider to be the real GOAT) stacks up so poorly against Maya and Stewie. Amazing what you can do with statistics. Statistics don't win games, but a GOAT does.

Paige of course is a great player, but she's played what? 1.5 seasons for UConn? She needs a larger baseline and hopefully she gets it.

 

[BRS24]

Maya, Diana, and Stewie's teams won multiple NCAA championships. They were durable. Paige is not. Paige is promise and potential. They were actualization.

On the money, not a popular position here by any means but the truth. You have to do it to be included with those players, not given that distinction because maybe you could have. And obviously, Bueckers still has the opportunity to make that happen going forward.

Durability is something that is admired, however we've often discovered after the fact, that players go through a lot to be practice and game ready. Maya had tendonitis in her knees from HS, and was religious about icing, wearing knee pads, etc. Diana had back issues way back when, and it was either her Jr or Sr year where it came out after the NC that she was suffering quite a bit during the season.

 

[Mdoggie]

She is the shiny new toy. Some of y’all have forgotten about what the “greats” accomplished . She has potential ( means you haven’t done anything YET). I said it awhile ago and some posters went on and on about her individual awards in this team sport. Poster tried to hang me out to dry. I imagine, because I truly don’t know, that Paige would give all those awards back for at least 1 championship at this stage in her career.

 

[sun]

So far I accredit Paige with being the greatest UConn freshman ever.
No other UConn player has ever had a rookie season as great as hers was.
Her rookie season was like the comet that she is, simply sensational.

 

[Bone Dog]

And NC's depend on team mates and circumstances such as the overall competition.

I really share this thought. It doesn’t change the importance of NCs in this sort of comparison. But I think it is true that Paige didn’t fail her team in those two NC runs. She carried them as far as she could get them to go. This year looked like it could be different, the core veterans she started with looked to be more ready, it was going to be a team she’d built. Next year is another similar shot. I’m already nervous about it.

 

[Bald Husky]

It's too hard to rank them, injuries, different eras with different levels of talent. I just regard our best players as super if they achieve All American status. You can go by championships, but it really is tougher to win one now-w-days with the increase of High School talent that seems to be enough to go around the big programs. You can only rate them against their peers at the time and making the jump to All American against those players should make them a super player. Stewy played with a multitude of All Americans, MoJeff, Morgan, KML, Pheesa, Lou, and maybe a couple others that I can't recall. In my opinion, it's too hard to rank then, and that's why everyone's list would be different. I just call all of them great at the time they played, and that is why I cannot rank one over the other.

 

[hoopsfan22]

So far I accredit Paige with being the greatest UConn freshman ever.
No other UConn player has ever had a rookie season as great as hers was.
Her rookie season was like the comet that she is, simply sensational.

What about Stewie's freshman season? She ended the year with a national championship and a Final Four MOP award.

 

[Huskie02]

I love Paige. Love her. Her game awesome. But a top characteristic to think about regarding player ability is player availability.

It hurts to say this because I love her game so much.

Agree! Diana, maya, and Stewie won at least 2 national championships (Stewie 4). As great a player as Paige is she has suffered major injuries in her first 2 years which makes a comparison difficult at best.

 

[sno-cat]

Don't forget that promise and potential are meaningless without actually playing and demonstrating greatness on a regular and consistent basis.

 

[Martin]

Right now I would say incomplete. But… It isn’t over yet.

 

[SVCBeercats]

So far I accredit Paige with being the greatest UConn freshman ever.
No other UConn player has ever had a rookie season as great as hers was.
Her rookie season was like the comet that she is, simply sensational.

In "Genoland" Breanna's 2013 Final Four MOP and NCAA National Championship win over Paige's National Player of the Year.

 

[Aluminny69]

Don't forget that promise and potential are meaningless without actually playing and demonstrating greatness on a regular and consistent basis.

How great would Shea Ralph have been without injuries?

 

[sun]

In "Genoland" Breanna's 2013 Final Four MOP and NCAA National Championship win over Paige's National Player of the Year.

Stewart wasn't named an All-American in 2012 - 2013.
Her freshman regular season performance wasn't worthy enough because she struggled to score points, as "her scoring average dropped below ten points for her last eighteen regular season games." - Wikipedia

 

[oldhusky]

Paige did something none of the other three did--she was the NPOY as a freshman. On the other hand, Paige hasn't won a national championship yet. Maya won 2, Dee won 3, and Stewie won 4. Let's see what Paige does in the remainder of her career. She may get the 4th spot on Mount Rushmore.

This is a good assessment. I thought Paige was well on her way to the 4th spot on Mt. Rushmore. With the losses in the Final Four the last two years, her best case scenario now, is probably one or two championships. That would be great, but mediocre compared to the big 3.

During some of those years those superstars played on teams that were clearly head and shoulders above the rest of the field. Even if you are considered the best team, your odds of winning a national championship are usually less than 50%, unless you are so much better than everyone else that you are huge favorites against all of the other top ranked teams.

Starting 0 for 2, the possibility Paige leaves school without a national championship is a distinct one. I don't think she gets on our Mt Rushmore without one. I also think Uconn next year might be the highest rated team, and she could certainly win one or even two, and with the comeback story, that could elevate her to the elite status. It isn't easy even if you are the best team.

There is another expected legacy that has been jeopardized by injuries, namely Paige and Azzi as perhaps the greatest backcourt combo in women's basketball history, putting them on a pedestal with Sue and Diana. We thought we would get to see three years of excellence from that duo. The first two have been ruined by injuries, and only in their third year together could we possibly see that combo at full strength. Actually Azzi could be a pretty good comeback story too.

Very few players at a level of Paige or Azzi have left without a championship. Their legacies as individual players, part of a team, and as a backcourt combo are still achievable, but you only get so many opportunities, and some of those are gone. At least that provides the maximum motivation, I'm sure if they don't meet the loftiest goals, it won't be because of a lack of effort.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Stewart wasn't named an All-American in 2012 - 2013.
Her freshman regular season performance wasn't worthy enough because she struggled to score points, as "her scoring average dropped below ten points for her last eighteen regular season games." - Wikipedia

Yeah but she was money when it counted most. Remember that game against ND in the tourney? I don't think winning a player of the year award automatically puts you in the same class as Stewie/Maya/Diana or even in the conversation, and to be honest assuming she comes back for her senior year, there's nothing she can do next year that would put her in that group. She's just lost too much time to injury and it's not fair to compare players that played 4 years with one that will play a max of 2.5.

 

[eebmg]

I would probably say that even if she did not get a NC, if she got a second NPOY or maybe even First Team AA, I would put her on Rushmore with the possibility of a better team being out there. However, with the maturing of all our pieces for 2024, the talent of that team should be dominant and if Paige cant get the NC, that would be an issue even for me.

 

[TCC Kid]

Durability is another way of saying they were lucky. Paige is a heck of alot more than promise and potential. NPOY as a Freshman and played even better starting off her Sophomore year. Her sadly shortened career is littered with amazing clutch performances coming back from injuries the others did not have to deal with. Brilliant play I keep replaying far more than the other 3.


And NC's depend on team mates and circumstances such as the overall competition.

I beg to differ. Before I go on: Paige was terrific as a Freshman, as was DT and Maya and eventually Stewie (she blossomed in the NCAA). These last 3 won NC's. To date ,with injuries and one NC loss against Arizona Paige hasn't. Paige ,before these injuries had POTENTIAL to win an NC as a Soph and maybe beyond. The Sophomore year injured, she didn't win an NC.
Potential means she had the ability before injury to show greatness in line with those 3 above, but the final proof is in her career at Uconn. Potential asks the question---will her next 3 years show her winning 3 NC? The quality of her teammates has something to do with that as it did with Maya, Stewie, DT.