Bueckers Named BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year

NEW YORK – UConn redshirt junior guard Paige Bueckers was named the 2023-24 BIG EAST Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year on Wednesday. Bueckers becomes the first Husky to earn the league's academic merit since two-time honoree Maya Moore claimed the recognition in back-to-back years in 2009-10 and 2010-11.

A UConn student-athlete has earned the honor eight times. The selection was made by the Conference's Academic Awards Selection Committee. Bueckers will receive a $2,000 scholarship, which may be applied to graduate or professional studies.

Bueckers is currently pursuing a bachelor of arts degree in human development and family sciences. The three-time BIG EAST All-Academic Team member has a 3.497 cumulative grade point average. She has been named to the UConn Dean's list four times and is a six-time member of the Director of Athletics' Honor Roll. Bueckers earned a 3.930 GPA in Fall 2023.

After missing last season due to injury, Bueckers has returned in impressive fashion in 2023-24. Over 18 BIG EAST games this season, Bueckers finished second in the conference in scoring at 22.0 points per game, while finishing fifth in assists (4.3) and sixth in steals (2.0). She led the Huskies to their 23^rd BIG EAST regular-season title and their first undefeated season in league play since 2020-21. Bueckers has twice been named National Player of the Week this season by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA). She was named to the Naismith Trophy Midseason Team, the Ann Meyers Drysdale USBWA National Player of the Year Watchlist and the Wade Trophy Midseason Watch List. Bueckers had a clean sweep of the national awards in 2021, including the Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy, AP Player of the Year and USBWA Player and Freshman of the Year.

Off the court, Bueckers' efforts have been just as impressive. She provided funding to Hopkins West Junior High School grocery store which will provide groceries for 50 families in need, she has donated funding to the UConn Foundation to go towards food insecurity, including providing food and supplies to the Husky Harvest Food Pantry, and she partnered with Gatorade to provide equipment and uniforms to the Hartford Hurricanes, a youth sports program which includes a newly founded girls basketball team. Bueckers is a Mamba and Mambacita Foundation Youth Coach and has participated in numerous volunteer events, such as classroom reading, turkey drives and Connecticut Children's Hospital visits.

The BIG EAST Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year award is one of a number of scholarships presented by the BIG EAST Conference during the 2023-24 academic year. In addition, 22 student-athletes (one male and one female from each of the BIG EAST's 11 member institutions) will receive postgraduate scholarships as the winners of their respective institutions' Scholar-Athlete Award. The winners of the institutional awards are then eligible for the BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, which provides an additional postgraduate scholarship to one male and one female student-athlete.

All-Time BIG EAST Women's Basketball Scholar-Athletes of the Year

1984-85	Leigh Curl	UConn
1985-86	Joan Powers	Providence
1986-87	Kathy Sweet	Boston College
1987-88	Vera Jones	Syracuse
1988-89	Geraldine Santilius	Seton Hall
1989-90	Angela Alston	Syracuse
1990-91	Carla Wenger	Boston College
1991-92	Wendy Davis	UConn
1992-93	Erin Kenneally	Syracuse
1993-94	Rebecca Lobo	UConn
1994-95	Rebecca Lobo	UConn
1995-96	Jennifer Rizzotti	UConn
1996-97	Kristyn Cook	Syracuse
1997-98	Raquel Nurse	Syracuse
1998-99	Rebecca Burbridge	West Virginia
1999-2000	Cal Bouchard	Boston College
2000-01	Ruth Riley	Notre Dame
2001-02	Nicole Conway	Boston College
2002-03	Alicia Ratay	Notre Dame
2003-04	Courtney Mix	Villanova
2004-05	Ashley Bush	Seton Hall
2005-06	Megan Duffy	Notre Dame
2006-07	Jenna Rubino	DePaul
2007-08	Allie Quigley	DePaul
2008-09	Jill Stephens	Cincinnati
2009-10	Maya Moore	UConn
2010-11	Maya Moore	UConn
2011-12	Da'Shena Stevens	St. John's
2012-13	Anna Martin	DePaul
2013-14	Katherine Plouffe	Marquette
2014-15	Brittany Hrynko	DePaul
2015-16	Megan Podkowa	DePaul
2016-17	Brooke Schulte	DePaul
2017-18	Allazia Blockton	Marquette
2018-19	Allazia Blockton	Marquette
2019-20	Chante Stonewall	DePaul
2020-21	Lexi Held	DePaul
2021-22	Ayanna Townsend	Xavier
2022-23	Maddy Siegrist	Villanova
2023-24	Paige Bueckers	UConn

University of Connecticut Athletics

Players Mentioned

Paige Bueckers

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