Freshman sensation Paige Bueckers slapped coach Geno Auriemma on the butt to honor an 'inside joke' and celebrate UConn's Sweet 16 win (2024)

• Paige Bueckers helped No. 1 UConn past Caitlin Clark and No. 5 Iowa in Saturday's Sweet 16 matchup.
• The freshman phenom slapped Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma on the butt to celebrate the feat.
• Bueckers explained that her love tap stemmed from an "inside joke" between the team and their coach.
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When you're a freshman phenom, you can get away with anything.

You can even slap your notoriously grumpy coach on the ass.

UConn superstar Paige Bueckers celebrated the top-ranked Huskies' Sweet Sixteen victory over Caitlin Clark and the No. 5 Iowa Hawkeyes by doing exactly that. The crafty point guard gave legendary UConn head coach Geno Auriemma a love tap on her way down the court – and the cheeky moment was broadcast on national television.

-Ben Dull (@ben_dull) March 27, 2021

The moment came late in the fourth quarter of Saturday's highly-anticipated showdown. Bueckers made a smart extra pass and found teammate Anna Makurat wide open in the corner to knock down the trey with ease. A few minutes later, the sophom*ore guard drained a second three-pointer, prompting Bueckers to smack Auriemma on the butt.

During media availability after the game, Bueckers explained that she was cashing in on an "inside joke between coach and the team" with her late-game shenanigans.

"We were just really excited that Anna came in and hit a huge three," she added. "And I just gave him a little pat on the butt just to let him know that it was a great play."

Auriemma later confirmed that his freshman's antics were, in fact, an inside joke - and added some context in his typical crotchety fashion. The 11-time national champion explained that he was hesitant to put Makurat in the game thanks to the Lebork, Poland, native's recent scoring drought.

At his coaching staff's urging, Auriemma gave Makurat a shot to prove herself at the very end of the game. She made good on the opportunity, scoring six points in eight minutes and giving Bueckers a chance to deliver a metaphorical "I told you so" via a pat on the behind.

"You know what the inside joke was?" Auriemma said. "That's more shots than Anna's made in a month. And I kept telling her: 'At some point, you've got to make one, you've got to make a couple. You gotta help us a little bit.'"

"Paige was letting me know," he added. "She never passes up an opportunity to let me know when I'm wrong. Trust me when I tell you that."

With their 92-72 victory over the Hawkeyes, Auriemma and his Huskies are headed to the Elite Eight, where Bueckers and company will face the second-seeded Baylor Lady Bears Monday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.

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