Paige Bueckers is touted to be the next UConn superstar to take the WNBA by storm. The guard is expected to be among the top picks in the 2025 draft after she wraps up her career with her alma mater. While she may be bidding adieu to UConn in a year, she’ll seemingly remain loyal to them for life.
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During an appearance on LSU star Flau’jae Johnson’s Best of Both Worlds podcast, the host asked her who’d win in a one-on-one coach battle between LSU’s Kim Mulkey and UConn’s Geno Auriemma. The 22-year-old guard picked her 70-year-old coach without any hesitation, saying,
“That would be the craziest game one on one…I gotta go coach Geno, for sure.”
Johnson disagreed with that take and jokingly claimed coach Geno would lose because his knees would give up quicker. The LSU guard argued that Mulkey is eight years younger and is active on the sidelines, which gives her the edge over the UConn coach. She added that the LSU coach also has decent handles and a good one-two step. Johnson said,
“One [on] one, she gon’ cook Geno, I ain’t gon’ cap. I don’t know if his knees could move like that. You know, coach Mulkey, she be on the sidelines going crazy.”
Despite showing her loyalty to UConn and picking her head coach, Bueckers couldn’t disagree with Johnson. The UConn guard said she also noticed how active the LSU coach is during games and practice.
While they passionately argued about which coach would win in a one-on-one game, fans, analysts, and former and current players alike would rather see the two young stars battle on the court. UConn and LSU are expected to be among the contenders to win the National Title next year.
Johnson has already won the title once with LSU. Bueckers led UConn to the National Championship Game in 2022 but lost to the South Carolina Gamecocks. The Huskies are the most successful women’s college basketball team with 11 national titles. However, they haven’t won it in eight years, their longest drought since they won their first in 1995.
The superstar guard will hope to end her time at UConn on a high and leave with a National Championship. However, Johnson and LSU will look to spoil her swansong. A battle between Geno and Mulkey could be in the offing, but they’ll be on the opposite sidelines, while the two young guards will slug it out on the court.
