Paige Bueckers is an American college basketball player who plays point guard for the University of Connecticut (UConn) Huskies in the Big East Conference. Born on October 20, 2001, in Edina, Minnesota, she gained national attention during her high school years at Hopkins High School, where she was named the number one recruit in her class by ESPN and received several national high school player of the year honors.
In her freshman year at UConn (2020–2021), Bueckers made an immediate impact by winning major national awards, including the AP Player of the Year, Naismith College Player of the Year, USBWA National Player of the Year, and the John R. Wooden Award. She led UConn to the Final Four in the 2021 NCAA tournament and set program records for freshman assists.
Bueckers’ college career faced challenges with injuries; she missed most of her sophomore season in 2021–2022 due to a left knee injury but returned for the 2023–2024 season. She was named Big East Player of the Year and earned unanimous first-team All-American honors for the second time. Bueckers played a pivotal role in UConn’s postseason run, leading the team to the Final Four in the 2024 NCAA tournament.
Beyond basketball, Bueckers has significantly benefited from name, image, and likeness (NIL) opportunities. She has secured endorsements with major brands such as Nike, Gatorade, and Cash App. In September 2023, Bueckers signed a multiyear deal with Nike, becoming the first college athlete to have her own Nike shoe.
In March 2025, Bueckers made history by becoming the first player in Big East and UConn history to win the Most Outstanding Player award in the conference tournament three times. She led UConn to a 70-50 victory over Creighton in the Big East Tournament championship game, contributing 24 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocked shots.