STORRS, Conn. (AP) — UConn star Paige Bueckers and coach Geno Auriemma both say they will be back at the school next season.

A senior academically, Bueckers made the announcement during senior night ceremonies at Gampel Pavilion following the team’s 85-44 win over Georgetown on Friday night.

Telling the crowd she wanted to “address the elephant in the room,” Bueckers said, “Unfortunately, this will not be my last senior night here,” eliciting a huge roar from the thousands who stayed to watch the ceremony.

Her 69-year-old coach followed that announcement by ending any speculation that he might retire after this season, his 39th at the school.

He joked to reporters that he was planning to come back next year as well, “until Paige announced that she’s coming back.” He then added, “Yeah, I’ll be back.”

Bueckers was named national player of the year as a freshman, spending that season playing in front of cardboard cutouts during the COVID-19 pandemic and leading the Huskies to the national semifinals where they lost to Arizona.

She spent most of her sophomore year on the bench with a tibial plateau fracture in her left knee, but came back in time to lead the Huskies to the national championship game, where they lost to South Carolina.

She suffered a torn ACL in that same knee before last season and was out the entire year.

The 22-year-old said she hasn’t really had a normal year at UConn until this one, and that was a major factor in her decision to come back.

“I love playing here; I love being here,” she said, “I love my teammates. I love my coaches and I feel our class is learning never to take that for granted, because you never know what’s going to happen. But again, just wanting to get more time here — more time with my teammates, mor