Question for stats geeks. Paige has made another bunch of FT's in a row. Where is she with 50/40/90?

[CTtoSanDiego]

I'd love to know how close she is, and what she has to do from the free throw line to get there...

 

[Puppy Love]

Paige Bueckers - Women's Basketball - University of Connecticut Athletics

Paige Bueckers (5) Guard - CAREER HONORS 2025 BIG EAST Player of the Year 2025 All-BIG EAST First Team 2024 WBCA, AP, USBWA and Wooden Award First Team

uconnhuskies.com

You can find the updated stats here. She’s at .899 right now.

 

[oldude]

Paige Bueckers - Women's Basketball - University of Connecticut Athletics

Paige Bueckers (5) Guard - CAREER HONORS 2025 BIG EAST Player of the Year 2025 All-BIG EAST First Team 2024 WBCA, AP, USBWA and Wooden Award First Team

uconnhuskies.com

You can find the updated stats here. She’s at .899 right now.

That’s only through 32 games. UConn has now played 34 games.

 

[Dugway]

This was a really good game for her statistically. She went back over the 40% mark in 3-point percentage.

For her Free Throws, she needed to go 9 for 9 to get into the 90 percentile. She only got seven opportunities… hit em all! She will get her opportunities, but of course if she misses one she will need to hit ten in a row to then get back that single loss. It’s a tough deal!

Getting into the tournament, the team will likely have a few blowouts and to a certain degree an opportunity to pad the stats. Eventually, they will be playing against very stiff defensive teams and the percentages could suffer.

 

[Bone Dog]

I believe she is 89 of 99 on FTs. She is currently at 89.89%

 

[oldude]

That’s only through 32 games. UConn has now played 34 games.

My bad. Paige missed 2 games this season. After tonight’s game, if Paige makes her next FT, she’s at 50/40/90

 

[CTtoSanDiego]

Paige Bueckers - Women's Basketball - University of Connecticut Athletics

Paige Bueckers (5) Guard - CAREER HONORS 2025 BIG EAST Player of the Year 2025 All-BIG EAST First Team 2024 WBCA, AP, USBWA and Wooden Award First Team

uconnhuskies.com

You can find the updated stats here. She’s at .899 right now.

so close! as I suspected... now she just can't miss for the rest of the year! btw, do they round .899 up to 90?

 

[oldude]

One thing I noticed watching the BE Tournament games at the Mohegan Sun over the past 3 days. Paige is one of the very few UConn players who actually practices shooting FT’s before the start of each half.

 

[Dugway]

She had better not be counting! That is the kiss of death.

I play a sport that is a game of perfection. I average 97.3% right now. In coaching others I explain the mental aspects of the game. Part of that, is total concentration on the ‘process’ of making the shot. You can never let the ‘outcome’ creep into your consciousness or you're in for a long day!

The ‘process’ consciously may be something like, “deep breath, relax, eyeballs on the back of the iron, fingertips”

Example of ‘outcome’ mentally is when you consciously say to yourself, “Okay, no problem, don’t let that miss take you out of this event. We are going to hit the rest of these, and we are still in it at a 97….” “Ugh, okay, we’re okay … just finish strong and we’ll have a respectable 96.” “@%… stupid, stupid, … another, urrr … obviously we need to change something.” “I can’t believe this!” “I had it going until the end there, and then dumped four in the last 20!”

So how did that happen to you Dugway? “Well, I have this little guy who hangs out in my mind. For whatever reason, he kept pestering me in that last round. He really, really wanted to take a couple shots. So for whatever reason, I went ahead and let him try a few. As it turns out, that little guy is just not a very good shot!”

 

[Blakeon18]

I remember an article a few weeks ago that Azzi gave Paige a tip or two on free throw shooting.

She has been very good over the years in that area but after those tips she has been near-perfect.
I would bet big bucks she has been well over 90% since that advice. Good luck going forward.
Uhhh...it is more than obvious several other players on the team should be searching out Azzie
to help their own free throw skills. Maybe they have?

 

[packwrap]

This 50/40/90 chase is very entertaining.

Most important is we know both really care about it, and unlike chasing triple doubles, it really has no effect on team or game. No stat stuffing, rather good shot selections and execution. It's a healthy target.

Paige is on the edge with free throws.

Azzi, surprisingly, is challenged on 2 pointers. She has done some good work to get to the basket lately, and then missed the layup.

6 more games for them to get there. Good luck ladies!

 

[oldude]

Also worth tracking Gianna Kneepkens at Utah, who looks real good for the 50/40, but currently needs to make her next 7 FT’s in a row to get to 90. Utah is currently projected to be an 8 seed in the Big Dance, which may only give the Utes 1 or 2 more games. So Kneepkens needs to get to the line at least 7 times and pretty much make everything until the end of the season.

 

[Jaml]

In addition to Paige's quest for 50/40/90, she is running away from the rest of the country in assist/turnover ratio. Maybe that is the other thing to chase; with only 7 other players with a better than 3 to 1 ratio, Paige is getting close to 4 to 1, currently at 3.90. You would think that this type of all around efficiency still has her in the NPOY discussion. Sarah comes in strong at number 47. The only other top NPOY candidate in the top 250 is Hannah Hildago at 202, the others (Watkins & Betts) are outside of the top 250. I know this is cherry picking a bit, but the 50/40/90 in addition to the t/o ratio is very impressive and I would be shocked if it wasn't unprecedented.

NCAA College Women's Basketball DI current individual Stats | NCAA.com

Discover the current NCAA Division I Women's Basketball leaders in every stats category, as well as historic leaders.

www.ncaa.com

 

[MilfordHusky]

I remember an article a few weeks ago that Azzi gave Paige a tip or two on free throw shooting.

She has been very good over the years in that area but after those tips she has been near-perfect.
I would bet big bucks she has been well over 90% since that advice. Good luck going forward.
Uhhh...it is more than obvious several other players on the team should be searching out Azzie
to help their own free throw skills. Maybe they have?

I think Paige made about 35 in a row.

 

[oldude]

I think Paige made about 35 in a row.

Yes. Paige made 35 in a row before missing and has now made 12 in a row since that miss, or 47 out of her last 48. Hard to get your head around that statistic.

 

[uconnfan68]

She had better not be counting! That is the kiss of death.

I play a sport that is a game of perfection. I average 97.3% right now. In coaching others I explain the mental aspects of the game. Part of that, is total concentration on the ‘process’ of making the shot. You can never let the ‘outcome’ creep into your consciousness or you're in for a long day!

The ‘process’ consciously may be something like, “deep breath, relax, eyeballs on the back of the iron, fingertips”

Example of ‘outcome’ mentally is when you consciously say to yourself, “Okay, no problem, don’t let that miss take you out of this event. We are going to hit the rest of these, and we are still in it at a 97….” “Ugh, okay, we’re okay … just finish strong and we’ll have a respectable 96.” “@%… stupid, stupid, … another, urrr … obviously we need to change something.” “I can’t believe this!” “I had it going until the end there, and then dumped four in the last 20!”

So how did that happen to you Dugway? “Well, I have this little guy who hangs out in my mind. For whatever reason, he kept pestering me in that last round. He really, really wanted to take a couple shots. So for whatever reason, I went ahead and let him try a few. As it turns out, that little guy is just not a very good shot!”

That little guy gets around.

 

[oldude]

In addition to Paige's quest for 50/40/90, she is running away from the rest of the country in assist/turnover ratio. Maybe that is the other thing to chase; with only 7 other players with a better than 3 to 1 ratio, Paige is getting close to 4 to 1, currently at 3.90. You would think that this type of all around efficiency still has her in the NPOY discussion. Sarah comes in strong at number 47. The only other top NPOY candidate in the top 250 is Hannah Hildago at 202, the others (Watkins & Betts) are outside of the top 250. I know this is cherry picking a bit, but the 50/40/90 in addition to the t/o ratio is very impressive and I would be shocked if it wasn't unprecedented.

NCAA College Women's Basketball DI current individual Stats | NCAA.com

Discover the current NCAA Division I Women's Basketball leaders in every stats category, as well as historic leaders.

www.ncaa.com

I presented Paige’s A/TO ratio along with her shooting numbers vs Watkins, Booker & Hidalgo a week ago. Only Hidalgo is close.

Watkins appears to be the odds on favorite for NPOY, and she is certainly capable of taking over a game. But she is also capable of going 9/28, which she did in USC’s recent loss to UCLA in the conference championship game.

Watkins pretty much has to score for USC to win big games. Paige can beat you a bunch of different ways, as she did against SC a few weeks back. She didn’t shoot it particularly well. But she dished out a remarkable 10 assists with 0 turnovers against one of the best defensive teams in the nation.

 

[Surly1]

Yes, Paige has been on quite a tear lately from the free throw. Oddly enough, one of her buddies made a serious run at the Div 1 record for consecutive free throws made. When she entered the same year as Paige, Cameron Brink was average from the charity line. Not too bad for a 6'4 big. She improved until she made 73 in a row over two seasons. The Div 1 record is 75, set by Michelle Gaislerova of North Dakota State.

The overall record is 118, set by Monica Burns of Div II Wheeling over a 24 game stretch.

Kelsey Minato of Army set the record for most free throws made in a game without a miss in 2014, going 26 for 26 against Holy Cross.

Kitija Laksa of South Florida set the season record in 2018 by going 111 for 115 for a 96.5%.

Like oldude and Jami pointed out, Paige doesn't only do what she does so well, she protects the ball with her life - 1 TO in the Big East tourney.

Apparently, awards are handed out, based on reputation and whoever the media anoints as deserving. However, a deeper dive into the numbers might have an illuminating effect.