UConn’s Caroline Ducharme beams with pride in support of ex-teammate Paige Bueckers: "There's nobody more deserving"

Paige Bueckers is thriving in the WNBA, and her former UConn teammates couldn't be more proud of the Dallas Wings star. Huskies guard Caroline Ducharme showed her support for Bueckers in a recent Wings game.

She was mic'ed up for an episode of "Husky Life", a documentary series on the Huskies' YouTube channel. As she watched her former teammate play in the WNBA, Ducharme reflected on her longtime friendship with Bueckers, their stint as UConn teammates and the 23-year-old's success at the highest level.

"I was teammates with Paige for four years ... my freshman year all the way up to last year," Ducharme said. "It's really cool to see her at this level. I mean, we've been friends since high school. So to be able to see all the success she's having — there's nobody more deserving."

Ducharme made it clear that she isn't alone in her support of Bueckers. The Dallas rookie has all her former UConn teammates by her side.

"We're just glad we can come, we can support her," Ducharme said. "We're so proud of her, but we miss her."

Bueckers has moved on to her professional career in Dallas. But her Huskies teammates will always be there to hype her up.

Paige Bueckers makes WNBA history, overtaking Caitlin Clark's record

Caitlin Clark had a dominant rookie campaign with the Indiana Fever in 2024. The Iowa alum won Rookie of the Year and was named to the All-Star team with 700,735 fan votes, the most by any rookie in WNBA history.

WNBA: Indiana Fever at Minnesota Lynx - Source: Imagn

However, Clark couldn't hold on to this record for long. Bueckers received 805,471 votes this year, surpassing Clark's record by over 100,000 votes.

With her record-breaking number of votes, Bueckers was named a 2025 WNBA All-Star starter. She will be joined by fellow rookies Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen in the July 19 All-Star game. It marks the first time since 2011 that three or more rookies have received All-Star nods.

WNBA: Phoenix Mercury at Dallas Wings - Source: Imagn

Bueckers has earned her All-Star recognition, however. The guard leads Dallas in scoring (18.7 points per game), assists (5.7 per game) and steals (1.8 per game). The rookie is also shooting 47.5%, including 34.8% from beyond the arc.

In her rookie campaign, Bueckers has already established herself as a star for the Wings. Her record-breaking All-Star votes highlight that her success is not going unnoticed.

About the author

Lindsey Ware is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over five years of experience working with publications such as The News & Observer, The Daily Tar Heel, Triangle Tribune and Cardiac Cane. She has also worked for Major League Baseball, The Holly Springs Salamanders, The Tri-City Chili Peppers, Tuffy Talk, Super Meteors Basketball, Just Good Network and Living Sport.

Lindsey has a Bachelor’s Degree in Media and Journalism from UNC Chapel Hill. Her education allowed Lindsey to gain experience in sports communication, which she honed in internships. Other than being a storyteller and sports fanatic, Lindsey is also a social media and marketing specialist.

Her favorite college team is UNC, although she grew up a N.C. State fan as both of her parents are Wolfpack alumni. Michael Jordan was a huge deal in North Carolina when Lindsey was growing up, and after a summer spent at UNC’s Sports Journalism Camp back in high school, Lindsey was set on being a Tar Heel.

Lindsey's favorite college coach of all time is Roy Williams. During her time attending UNC Chapel Hill and writing for The Daily Tar Heel, Lindsey was lucky enough to meet and speak with Williams a few times. He was like a celebrity on UNC’s campus and was beloved for his coaching style and success with the Tar Heels, accumulating three NCAA championship titles in 18 years.

When not watching or writing about sports, Lindsey enjoys reading, trying new restaurants and coffee shops, and spending time with my friends, family and dog. She also likes to journal, watch movies and paint.

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Edited by Satagni Sikder