The Associated Press UConn guard Paige Bueckers hugs UConn head coach Geno Auriemma as she comes off the floor late in the second half.

TAMPA, Fla. — During the final sweet moments of UConn’s 12th national title, Geno Auriemma and Paige Bueckers embraced after the star guard departed her final game with the Huskies.

It was the moment they wanted all along.

“They’ve all been gratifying, don’t get me wrong,” Auriemma said. “But this one here, because of the way it came about and what’s been involved, it’s been a long time since I’ve been that emotional when a player has walked off the court.”

Bueckers, Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong led the way as UConn returned to the top of women’s college basketball by rolling to an 82-59 victory over defending champion South Carolina on Sunday.

Fudd, who was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, scored 24 points. Strong had 24 points and 15 rebounds, and Bueckers scored 17 points for UConn (37-3).

“Well, it’s amazing to have three players, three people like that on the same team,” said the 71-year-old Auriemma, who became the oldest coach in major college basketball to win a championship. “And Sarah, you would think Sarah was graduating the way she plays, right? All three of them complement each other so well. They all have such unique skill sets.”

Bueckers capped her stellar career with the Huskies’ first championship since 2016, ending a nine-year drought for the team. That was the longest period for Auriemma and his program without a title since Rebecca Lobo and Jen Rizzotti led the Huskies to their first championship in 1995.

Since then the Huskies have had dominant championship runs, including in the early 2000s led by Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi, 2009-10 with Maya Moore and finally the four straight from 2013-16 with Breanna Stewart. All were in attendance in Florida on Sunday to see the Huskies’ latest title.

“You just never know if you’ll ever be back in this situation again,” Auriemma said. “And there were so many times when I think we all questioned, ‘Have we been here too long? Has it been time?’ And we kept hanging in there and hanging in there and that’s because these players make me want to hang in there every day.”