Paige Bueckers, another UCONN Huskie that is currently cementing her legacy as the next Geno Auriemma product. Just like Cameron Brink, Angel Reese, JuJu Watkins, and Caitlin Clark, many point to her as a trailblazer of the new era of women’s basketball.
Paige is an immensely talented basketball player that has garnered a ton of attention thanks to her all-around game, marketability, and personality. The Edina, Minnesota native is a point guard that can read any defense, shoot any shot, and a playmaker with an extraordinary basketball IQ. Bueckers has been in the national spotlight ever since she played high school basketball at Hopkins High School in Minnetonka, Minnesota. She led her team to multiple state championships and received numerous awards, including the Gatorade National Player of the Year and the Naismith Prep Player of the Year.
As a freshman at UCONN during the 2020-2021 season, Bueckers had an outstanding year and lead the Huskies to the NCAA Final Four. She was named the 2021 Associated Press Women’s College Basketball Player of the Year, making her the first freshman to ever win the award. She also earned the Wooden Award and Naismith College Player of the Year honors as well. This goes to show how dominant she can be on the floor.
In the last couple of years, injuries have somewhat halted her ascension to the top of women’s basketball. She missed 19 games during the 2021-22 season due to a multitude of leg injuries and most recently the 2022-23 season due to ACL surgery. She did however bounce back last year by averaging 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game in 2023-24. Even after the injury, she has remained one of the most highly regarded players in the sport and her stock is only going to continue to grow if she stays healthy.
This is what Breanna Stewart saw in Paige when she extended the opportunity to join the league. Stewie knows that Paige is a hot commodity and big name that can only elevate the talent and branding of the league. Stewie also said, “Paige being a part of Unrivaled shows the longevity and future this league has. Her being supportive of us in the first year and then playing in the second, is something that’s really exciting. We are just making sure that each year we have top caliber talent coming in.”
Paige is still in college and will play the upcoming college season and she also has another possible year of eligibility due to COVID, but it’s unlikely she’s going to use it as she’s projected to be a top pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. She isn’t playing this year and will be participating in 2026 but until then she will still receive equity in the Unrivaled Basketball brand through NIL as she finishes her college career.
