Once BIG EAST rivals, Paige Bueckers and Maddy Siegrist are finding their chemistry as teammates

It’s fitting that, just moments after checking into the game in the first quarter, Siegrist scored a 3-pointer off an assist from Bueckers. Later, at the six minute mark of the second quarter, Paige delivered another dime to Maddy, this time for a corner three.

“We both come from sort of similar playing styles, and we both know how to play the game the right way and off of each other,” Bueckers told reporters. “We already have a sort of built in chemistry because of that.”

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Together, UConn alum Bueckers (2021, 2024, 2025) and Villanova alum Siegrist (2022, 2023) are winners of the past five BIG EAST Player of the Year honors. Siegrist, who concedes that “it’s much better playing with [Bueckers] than against her,” credited the culture of the conference and their respective programs as key to the duo’s preparation for the pros.

“UConn is a storybook, strong program, and Villanova is a strong culture as well,” Siegrist told The Next. “So just coming from, a lot of structure … in the BIG EAST … we want to win at this level as well and have it translate. So I think we’re both willing to do whatever it takes.”

Tuesday’s game was most obviously a homecoming game for Bueckers, who just weeks ago returned to Connecticut from Tampa with a national championship net around her neck, securing her personal legacy at women’s college basketball’s most storied program. Her name hangs on the wall at UConn’s home gym in Storrs, about 30 miles north of Mohegan Sun.

“I had some great memories here in Mohegan. … I don’t think we lost here during my career at UConn — so we’re trying to carry those vibes over to this game and just approach it with a winning mentality and just trying to conquer the next game in front of us,” Bueckers told reporters before the game.

Bueckers made the most of her time in Connecticut, meeting up with former Husky teammates at Tao restaurant in Mohegan Sun and reconnecting with the familiar UConn beat writers who closely documented her college career. Just like her days at UConn, Bueckers’ intro in the starting lineup was greeted with thunderous applause from the Connecticut crowd — this time a sea of No. 5 jerseys both in UConn navy blue and white and Dallas Volt green and blue. The hometown hero put on a show, scoring 21 points and contributing seven assists, five rebounds, two steals, and an epic block against fellow UConn alum Bria Hartley.

For Siegrist, who grew up in Poughkeepsie, New York, the game also represented a return to her roots. All six of her grandparents were at Mohegan to watch the game, and so were some former teammates and Villanova alums. Following pregame shootaround, Siegrist praised the Wildcat faithful for their support throughout her professional career.

“Villanova fans are real loyal … wherever we go. Sometimes we’ll be in Seattle and I’ll see a couple of Villanova shirts — I always smile, they’re great,” Siegrist told The Next, wearing sneakers with the Villanova “V” logo on the tongue of her left sneaker.

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In Bueckers and Siegrist, Wings first-year head coach Chris Koclanes has on his roster two dynamic scorers with high basketball IQs. As a redshirt senior, Bueckers became the fastest in UConn history to score 2,000 points, surpassing Hall of Famer Maya Moore. Siegrist holds the record for most points (2,896) in Villanova basketball history — men’s or women’s — and, during the offseason, broke the Athletes Unlimited win points record en route to winning the individual title.

What impresses Koclanes beyond each star’s clearly elite resume is how they’ve been able to blend together in their early days as teammates. He pointed to the ways that both Bueckers and Siegrist, while among the youngest players on the roster, don’t shy away from leadership responsibilities or building a winning team culture. They have demonstrated a willingness to put their egos aside for the benefit of the team.

“Their chemistry, their relationship is budding, and they’re really leaning on each other a lot. So [I] just love the energy that they bring — their consistency and their effort, day in and day out, in practice and in the game. So lucky to have both of them,” Koclanes told reporters.

Koclanes was seated between Bueckers and Siegrist in the postgame press conference, shirt still lightly-soaked from the team’s celebration of his first career win as a head coach. Most of the questions were directed towards Bueckers, capping off a holiday weekend in which she was the center of attention. Still, she took the time to praise her former conference rival-turned teammate in a conference room just feet away from the very court where they fought for BIG EAST titles.

“She’s helped me, and we want to continue to lead from where we are,” Bueckers said. “… [We] come from great programs in the BIG EAST, sort of play the same, and have that mutual understanding on the court. So it’s just been great to build that chemistry with her.”