In a heart-wrenching loss, UConn narrowly missed its ultimate goal, falling 71-69 to Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the Final Four on Friday night.

Despite the defeat, Husky star Paige Bueckers, who has committed to returning to school next season, contributed 17 points. She took a moment to reflect on the team’s journey, acknowledging the resilience it took to reach this point after facing adversity throughout the season.

“The only thing you can really feel right now is the sting of the loss,” Bueckers said postgame. “There’s going to be tears regardless at the end of the season just because it’s my last time playing with these guys. It takes a while to process after the season, win or loss, the whole journey of it all. But you just, for this year especially, from my perspective, you just appreciate it as it goes along, just being on this team.

“Everybody saw the heart, the joy, the passion that we played with. We just love each other and we enjoy being around each other. And this season meant everything to us, against all odds. Nobody thought we would be here. All people posted about us was the worst ranking in 20 years, the worst start in 20 years, the worst seeding in the tournament in 20 years. And here we are at the Final Four.”

For Bueckers personally, her journey in the tournament took a poignant turn as she was sidelined for the last two UConn appearances. Finally getting her opportunity this season, it came to an end on a decisive play where the Huskies were called for an offensive foul.

In a critical moment with under 10 seconds left in the game and trailing by one point, UConn orchestrated a play to free up Bueckers. However, teammate Aaliyah Edwards was flagged for an illegal screen, effectively ending their possession. The turnover allowed Iowa to run out the clock, securing their spot to face South Carolina in the title game.

“It’s not the ending that we wanted,” Bueckers continued. “But just to look back and — it’s hard right now, of course, because all you’re thinking about is the loss — but this is relationships and memories we’ll have for the rest of our life. And I know we’re proud of being here. Just the standard at UConn is national championships, so it’s always disappointing. But I know we’ll reflect after this and just get better from here.”