The Big Lead

UConn's Paige Bueckers wakes up every morning to cook for teammate observing Ramadan

Paige Bueckers is a star on the court, but a worldclass teammate off, waking up early every morning to help UConn teammate Jana El Alfy as she observes Ramadan.

By Josh Sanchez

UConn Huskies center Jana El Alfy reacts with guard Paige Bueckers after a basket against the USF Bulls.
UConn Huskies center Jana El Alfy reacts with guard Paige Bueckers after a basket against the USF Bulls. / David Butler II-Imagn Images
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UConn women's basketball star Paige Bueckers is one of the faces of college basketball. Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma calls his star guard "the most unguardable player" in the country because of her versatility on the court.

Bueckers, or Paige Buckets as she is known by fans and teammates, consistently cooks opponents on the court, and it turns out she also cooks when she's off of it.

UConn center Jana El Alfy, who is from Egypt, revealed that Bueckers wakes up at 5:00 a.m. every morning to make sure she has breakfast.

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El Alfy, who is Muslim, is observing Ramadan which means she has been fasting from sunrise to sunset for the past month. Bueckers has made sure she wakes up to book El Alfy a hearty breakfast that gives her the fuel to get through the game.

UConn Huskies center Jana El Alfy and guard KK Arnold react after a play against the St. John's Red Storm.
UConn Huskies center Jana El Alfy and guard KK Arnold react after a play against the St. John's Red Storm. / David Butler II-Imagn Images

"That was really, really sweet of her," El Alfy told CT Insider. "And it meant a lot because obviously, being away from home, that’s tough, and my teammates made it so much easier for me.

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"She makes really good scrambled eggs."

UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers exits the floor after defeating the South Dakota State Jackrabbits during March Madness.
UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers exits the floor after defeating the South Dakota State Jackrabbits during March Madness. / David Butler II-Imagn Images

El Alfy has been fasting since she was 11 years old, so she is used to the impact it has on her body. It is still impressive to have the discipline to fast during such a high-stress situation and moments like March Madness.

Everyone knows that Bueckers is one of the best players in the game, which is why she is the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. But she's also a great person when the cameras aren't on her.

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