Paige Bueckers continues to praise God after wins. Here’s what she’s said about her faith in the past

Paige Bueckers hasn’t shied away from sharing her faith, even on basketball’s biggest stages.

Following UConn’s past two NCAA Tournament wins, Bueckers gave all credit to God, talking about how he has helped her succeed and overcome adversity.

“So much gratitude. I’m a living testimony. I give all glory to God. He works in mysterious ways. Last year, I was praying to be back at this stage,” she told ESPN Monday. “He sent me trials and tribulations, but it was to build my character. It was to test my faith to see if I was a believer. But I just kept on believing. I did all I could, so God could do all I can’t.”

Bueckers said that it’s “a godly miracle” for UConn to make it to the Final Four with the injury-riddled season the team has had. The team lost six players to injuries over the past few months.

“You can overcome anything with God on your side, with hard work on your side,” she said.

What has Paige Bueckers said about her faith?

Bueckers has been vocal about her faith throughout her basketball career, often sharing scriptures and thanking God in social media posts. Proverbs 3:5-6 is even part of her Instagram bio.

In August 2022, Bueckers tore her ACL in a pickup basketball game, forcing her to miss the entire season. Shortly after the injury, Bueckers took to Instagram to reveal how her faith in God was helping her cope with the injury.

“It’s hard trying to make sense of it all now but I can’t help but think that God is using me as a testimony as to how much you can overcome with Him by your side,” she wrote. “Some little kid that just tore their ACL or had a major surgery might need this story P, because it’s going to be one hell of a comeback. There is going to be good days and there is going to be bad days but my absolute love for the game and Godly strength will get me back to where I need to be.”

The 2021 National Player of the Year then thanked fans for their prayers and said the injury hadn’t made her doubt her belief in God or her basketball dreams.

“God put a dream in my heart and even if I have to walk through a nightmare to get it, I’m going to keep believing,” she said.

Six months after her surgery, she shared an update about her progress, writing, “God’s timing is never off, keep working.”

Then, two months before her return to basketball, she again talked about how the injury had strengthened her faith rather than threatening it.

“Part of me thinks it was God calling me to use this,” Bueckers told ESPN. “I feel like I’m just gonna have a great story to tell by the end of it.”

Paige Bueckers on answered prayers

After scoring 32 points and punching a ticket to the Sweet 16 on March 25, Bueckers revealed in her postgame press conference that God had answered her prayers from a year ago when she was sidelined with an ACL injury.

“I prayed so hard a year ago today to be in my shoes where I’m at right now, so just to appreciate it, especially playing here in front of the best fans in the country with the best teammates and the best coaching staff in the world,” she said, per a video shared by HighlightHER on X. “I give all glory to God, all glory to my coaching staff, and my teammates for instilling that confidence within me just to have fun and play my game.”

Bueckers and UConn went on to beat USC Monday and secure a spot in the Final Four.

On Friday, Bueckers and UConn will continue their pursuit of their school’s first NCAA title since 2016 in their Final Four matchup against Caitlin Clark and Iowa at 7 p.m. MDT.

They’re looking for redemption after last season′s Sweet 16 loss — the program’s earliest NCAA Tournament exit since 2005.