Career Timeline of Paige Bueckers: Major Achievements and Milestones

How Paige Bueckers built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Paige Bueckers is an American professional basketball player currently playing for the Dallas Wings in the WNBA and Breeze of Unrivaled. She gained prominence playing college basketball for the UConn Huskies.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1989: Points in a season opener record

On November 14, 2021, Bueckers matched the program record for points in a season opener set by Kerry Bascom in 1989.

2007: Highest-scoring Performance by a UConn Freshman Since Tina Charles

On February 3, 2021, Paige Bueckers posted a season-high 32 points and seven assists in a 94–62 victory over St. John's of New York, the highest-scoring performance by a UConn freshman since Tina Charles in 2007.

2012: Compared to Breanna Stewart

Entering her freshman season at UConn, sports publications described Paige Bueckers as the program's most hyped recruit since Breanna Stewart in 2012.

November 25, 2016: Freshman Season Debut for Hopkins High School

On November 25, 2016, Paige Bueckers made her freshman season debut for Hopkins High School, scoring 28 points, recording five steals, and four assists in a 74–34 win over Osseo Senior High School.

February 1, 2019: Career-High 43 Points

On February 1, 2019, as a junior, Paige Bueckers scored a career-high 43 points in a 69–66 win over Wayzata High School and surpassed 2,000 career points.

April 1, 2019: Commitment to University of Connecticut

On April 1, 2019, Paige Bueckers announced her commitment to the University of Connecticut for college basketball.

2019: Played in World Beach Games

In 2019, Paige Bueckers was the youngest member of the senior national team at the World Beach Games in Doha, Qatar. She averaged 6.5 points per game as the United States finished in fifth place.

January 29, 2020: Featured on Slam Magazine Cover

On January 29, 2020, during her senior season, Paige Bueckers became the first female high school player to be featured on the cover of basketball magazine Slam.

December 12, 2020: Collegiate Debut for UConn

On December 12, 2020, Paige Bueckers made her collegiate debut for UConn, recording 17 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and five steals in a 79–23 win over UMass Lowell.

2020: Bueckers Entering Freshman Season at UConn

Entering her freshman season at UConn in 2020, Bueckers was described as the program's most hyped recruit since Breanna Stewart in 2012 and became her team's leader from the beginning of her college career, with no seniors on the 2020–21 team.

January 21, 2021: Game-Winning Three-Pointer Against Tennessee

On January 21, 2021, Paige Bueckers made a three-pointer with 25 seconds left to help defeat rival Tennessee, 67–61.

July 13, 2021: Filed trademark for "Paige Buckets" nickname

On July 13, 2021, Paige Bueckers filed for a trademark on the nickname "Paige Buckets" for use on athletic apparel.

August 2021: Signed with Wasserman as NIL client

In August 2021, Paige Bueckers signed with Wasserman as a name, image, and likeness (NIL) client, following the NCAA's decision to allow student-athletes to be compensated. She quickly became known as the "face of NIL" for women's basketball.

November 14, 2021: Season Debut and Matched Program Record

On November 14, 2021, Paige Bueckers made her season debut, recording a season-high 34 points, six rebounds, and four assists in a 95–80 win against Arkansas. She matched the program record for points in a season opener.

November 2021: Signed endorsement deals with StockX and Gatorade

In November 2021, Paige Bueckers signed her first major endorsement deals with StockX and Gatorade, becoming the first college athlete to partner with Gatorade.

2021: Voiced support for Black Lives Matter movement

In 2021, Paige Bueckers voiced her support for the Black Lives Matter movement and participated in marches for racial justice after the murder of George Floyd. During her ESPY Award acceptance speech in 2021, she honored Black women and highlighted racial disparities in media coverage of women's basketball.

2021: Named National Women's Player of the Year and Reached Final Four

In 2021, Paige Bueckers, in her first season at UConn, became the first freshman to be named national women's player of the year and helped her team reach the Final Four.

February 7, 2022: Announced partnership with Cash App and launched the Paige Bueckers Foundation

On February 7, 2022, Paige Bueckers announced a partnership with Cash App and launched the Paige Bueckers Foundation to promote social justice and create opportunities for families and children.

February 25, 2022: Cleared to return against St. John's

On February 25, 2022, Paige Bueckers was cleared to return to play against St. John's after recovering from an injury. She came off the bench for the first time in her career, playing 13 minutes and scoring eight points in a 93–38 victory due to a minutes restriction.

2022: UConn reached the national title game

In 2022, Bueckers led UConn to the national title game after missing most of her sophomore and all of her junior season due to knee injuries.

August 9, 2023: Cleared to Return to the Court

On August 9, 2023, Paige Bueckers announced that she was fully cleared to return to the court. Two months prior, she had been cleared for all activities except for five-on-five play.

September 6, 2023: Signed deal with Nike

On September 6, 2023, Paige Bueckers signed a multiyear deal with Nike and promoted the GT Hustle 2 shoe. She also has a special colorway of the GT Hustle 3, making her the first college athlete to have her own Nike shoe.

NIKE G.T. Hustle 2 Mens Basketball Shoes DJ9405-102 (White/Black), Size 10

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2023: Played Power Forward

In the 2023-24 season, Paige Bueckers began playing power forward for UConn due to the team's lack of available forwards.

January 17, 2024: Season-High 32 Points Against Seton Hall

On January 17, 2024, Paige Bueckers posted a season-high 32 points and seven rebounds in an 83–59 win over Seton Hall.

February 16, 2024: Returns to UConn for 2024-25 Season

On February 16, 2024, Paige Bueckers announced that she would return to UConn for the 2024–25 season, despite being projected as a top-three pick in the 2024 WNBA draft.

August 2024: Signed NIL deal with Unrivaled league

In August 2024, Paige Bueckers signed an NIL deal with the 3-on-3 basketball league Unrivaled and plans to make her league debut in 2026.

November 7, 2024: Season Opener Win Over Boston University

On November 7, 2024, Paige Bueckers opened her senior season with 13 points, seven assists, and five steals in an 86–32 win over Boston University.

March 28, 2025: Announces Entry into 2025 WNBA Draft

On March 28, 2025, Paige Bueckers announced that she would enter the 2025 WNBA draft, where she was projected to be the first overall pick.

April 6, 2025: Wins First National Championship

On April 6, 2025, Paige Bueckers won her first national championship, scoring 17 points in an 82–59 win over top-seeded South Carolina in the title game. She was unanimously named first-team All-American for the third time.

April 13, 2025: Signed 3-Year Deal with Unrivaled League

On April 13, 2025, ESPN reported that Paige Bueckers had signed a 3-year deal with the three-on-three basketball league Unrivaled. The first year of her Unrivaled contract is reportedly paying her more than her entire four-year WNBA rookie contract.

May 16, 2025: Regular Season Debut in WNBA

On May 16, 2025, Paige Bueckers made her regular season debut in the WNBA, scoring 10 points in a 112–78 loss to the Minnesota Lynx.

September 22, 2025: Announced as Player for 2026 Unrivaled Season

On September 22, 2025, Paige Bueckers was officially announced as one of the players for the 2026 Unrivaled season.

2025: Selected First Overall in WNBA Draft and Named Rookie of the Year

In 2025, Bueckers was selected first overall by the Dallas Wings in the WNBA draft. In her first season, she was named WNBA Rookie of the Year and selected to the All-WNBA Second Team.

2025: Won first national championship and received the Wade Trophy

In 2025, as a senior, Bueckers won her first national championship and received the Wade Trophy after helping the Huskies return to the Final Four as a redshirt junior.

January 5, 2026: Unrivaled Debut

On January 5, 2026, Paige Bueckers made her Unrivaled debut, scoring the club's first-ever basket and a team-high 24 points in a 69–62 win over Phantom BC.

2026: Unrivaled Debut and All-Unrivaled First Team Selection

In 2026, Bueckers made her Unrivaled debut with Breeze and was selected to the All-Unrivaled First Team.

2026: Plans to make Unrivaled league debut

In August 2024, it was announced that Paige Bueckers had signed an NIL deal with the 3-on-3 basketball league Unrivaled, with plans for her to make her league debut in the 2026 season.