Former NBA player Etan Thomas wrote a column suggesting there was a race factor into why Paige Bueckers' popularity has yet to reach Caitlin Clark heights.

UConn women's basketball's Paige Bueckers was named to the Wooden Award All-America team, marking the 3rd time in her career she has earned the honor.

The UConn Huskies defeated the University of Southern California Trojans in the women's Elite Eight on Monday to advance to their 24th program Final Four, the most in NCAA tournament history across either bracket.

Though it’s easy in Connecticut to see UConn women’s basketball as “star-crossed” in the recent years, with all the injuries and excruciating losses in March Madness, the outside world sees the Huskies as star-studded.

Among the Trojans' 28 victories was a tightly contested, 72-70 win over UConn in December. Watkins was the star of the game, leading all scorers with 25 points on 9-of-16 shooting to go along with six rebounds and five assists.

Paige Bueckers is the latest and greatest to wear UConn across her chest. Here's how she stacks up on the Huskies' all-time leading scoring list.

So, while the basketball at UConn is still available to her, this time with her teammates is available, the chance to put on that No. 5 Huskies jersey one more time is available, Bueckers will be that player. She will shoot 27 times. She will take over a game. She will not take for granted any moment on the floor.

The Wooden Award named its five women's college basketball finalists on Tuesday, per ESPN's Kendra Andrews, with UConn's Paige Bueckers, USC's JuJu Watkins, UCLA's Lauren Betts, Texas' Madison Booker and Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo making the cut.

Behind Paige Bueckers, UConn can't lose. Women's Final Four is set after Huskies down USC, and no one is beating Geno Auriemma's team for NCAA title.