Paige Bueckers, UConn share thoughts on controversial foul in Final Four loss vs. Iowa

The 2024 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament has lived up to the hype and then some. The Iowa vs. LSU matchup in the Elite Eight drew record viewership numbers. On Friday night, the Final Four began, with the headliner being Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes taking on Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies.

Unfortunately for the game, which was on the verge of becoming an all-time classic, the game ended on a controversial call.

UConn trailed 70-69 witha. matter of seconds remaining on the clock. A shot could help propel the No. 3 Huskies over the No. 1 Hawkeyes. But with four seconds on the clock, UConn senior forward Aaliyah Edwards was called for an illegal screen. That, in turn, prevented Huskies star Paige Bueckers from potentially making a game-winning shot, and gave possession back to the Hawkeyes, who clinched the 71-69 win to advance to the National Championship Game against the undefeated South Carolina Gamecocks.

Paige Bueckers doesn't blame offensive foul for Final Four loss to Iowa

Viewers and social media were in an uproar over the timing of the foul called by the officials, especially in a critical moment of the game.

After the game, Bueckers was asked about the offensive foul that essentially cost the Huskies a chance to advance to the National Championship Game for the first time since 2022. Bueckers said that the foul was not the reason why they lost the game, saying that "not one single play wins a basketball game or loses a basketball game." Bueckers said that the Huskies should have played better.

While Bueckers took the high road regarding the screen foul, head coach Geno Auriemma was much more critical of the officiating.

Auriemma said "there's probably an illegal screen call that you could make on every single possession." From there, the head coach said that there were "three or four" screen fouls called on UConn, but insinuated that zero were call on Iowa.

Edwards, meanwhile, thought the screen used was "pretty clean."

In what turned out to be UConn's final game of the season, Bueckers scored 17 points after shooting 7-for-17 from the field (3-for-8 from the three-point line), while recording four rebounds and three assists. As for Edwards, the senior recorded 17 points (8-for-15 from the field), eight rebounds, five steals, three assists, and one block.

While the loss stings, UConn will have Bueckers back for one more season. So UConn's chances of contending for a national title remain high.