Career Timeline of Paige Bueckers: Major Achievements and Milestones

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

Paige Madison Bueckers is an American professional basketball player. She currently plays for the Dallas Wings in the WNBA and for Breeze of Unrivaled. Prior to turning professional, Bueckers played college basketball for the UConn Huskies. She is considered one of the most promising young talents in women's basketball.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1989: Record for Points in a Season Opener

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

1998: Joining UConn

Paige Bueckers became the 11th number-one recruit to sign and attend UConn since 1998.

2007: Highest-Scoring Performance by UConn Freshman

On February 3, 2021, Paige Bueckers posted a season-high 32 points. It was the highest-scoring performance by a UConn freshman since Tina Charles in 2007.

2012: Compared to Breanna Stewart

In 2012, Breanna Stewart, similar to Paige Bueckers in 2020, was considered to be a hyped recruit for the UConn program.

November 25, 2016: High School Freshman Debut

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

October 2018: Gold Medal at Summer Youth Olympics

In October 2018, Paige Bueckers won a gold medal for the United States in 3x3 basketball at the Summer Youth Olympics held in Buenos Aires, contributing to her team's undefeated run.

February 1, 2019: Career-High 43 Points and Surpassing 2,000 Career Points

On February 1, 2019, 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.

August 2019: AAU Player of the Year

In August 2019, Paige Bueckers was named AAU Player of the Year by Prep Girls Hoops.

2019: FIBA Under-19 World Cup MVP and USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year

In 2019, Paige Bueckers won a gold medal at the FIBA Under-19 World Cup and was named Most Valuable Player. She was also recognized as USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year.

2019: World Beach Games

In 2019, Paige Bueckers, as the youngest member, played at the World Beach Games in Doha, Qatar. Her team finished in fifth place after losing to Brazil in the quarterfinals. She averaged 6.5 points per game.

January 29, 2020: Featured on Slam Magazine Cover

On January 29, 2020, 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 in a 79–23 win over UMass Lowell.

2020: Most Hyped Recruit

Entering her freshman season at UConn, in 2020, sports publications described Paige Bueckers as the program's most hyped recruit since Breanna Stewart in 2012.

2020: Ranked Number One Player

In 2020, Paige Bueckers was ranked the number one player in her class by ESPN.

January 21, 2021: Defeating Tennessee Despite Ankle Sprain

On January 21, 2021, Paige Bueckers helped defeat rival Tennessee, 67–61, with a three-pointer despite shooting poorly. She also sprained her ankle, causing her to miss the next game.

July 13, 2021: Trademark Filing

On July 13, 2021, Paige Bueckers filed for a trademark on her nickname "Paige Buckets" for use on athletic apparel such as shirts, pants, jackets, footwear, hats, and uniforms.

July 2021: Best Female College Athlete ESPY Award

In July 2021, Paige Bueckers won the Best Female College Athlete ESPY Award.

August 2021: Signs with Wasserman

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 for their NIL.

November 14, 2021: Season Debut and Record-Matching Performance

On November 14, 2021, Paige Bueckers made her season debut, recording 34 points against Arkansas, matching a program record for points in a season opener.

November 2021: Endorsement Deals with StockX and Gatorade

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

2021: ESPY Awards Acceptance Speech

During her acceptance speech at the 2021 ESPY Awards, Paige Bueckers celebrated Black women and addressed racial disparities in media coverage of women's basketball players.

2021: Reaching the Final Four

In 2021, Paige Bueckers helped her team, UConn, reach the Final Four in her first season.

February 7, 2022: Paige Bueckers Foundation Launch

On February 7, 2022, Paige Bueckers announced a partnership with Cash App to launch the Paige Bueckers Foundation, which promotes social justice and creates 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 against St. John's, coming off the bench for the first time in her career, scoring 8 points in 13 minutes due to a minutes restriction in a 93-38 victory.

2022: Leading UConn to the National Title Game

In 2022, Paige Bueckers led UConn to the national title game.

August 9, 2023: Cleared to return to court

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

September 6, 2023: Signs Deal with Nike

On September 6, 2023, Paige Bueckers signed a multiyear deal with Nike, promoting the company's new GT Hustle 2 shoe and later having a special colorway of the GT Hustle 3, making her the first college athlete to have her own Nike shoe.

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2023: Position Change

In 2023, Paige Bueckers started playing as power forward due to UConn'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: Decision to return to UConn

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: NIL Deal with Unrivaled

In August 2024, it was announced that Paige Bueckers had signed an NIL deal with the 3-on-3 basketball league Unrivaled.

November 7, 2024: Season Opener Win Against Boston University

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

March 28, 2025: Announced entry into 2025 WNBA draft

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

April 6, 2025: Won 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.

April 13, 2025: Signed 3-year deal with Unrivaled

On April 13, 2025, ESPN reported that Paige Bueckers had signed a 3-year deal with the three-on-three basketball league Unrivaled.

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: Drafted into the WNBA and Named Rookie of the Year

In 2025, Paige 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: Winning National Championship and Wade Trophy

In 2025, as a senior, Paige Bueckers won her first national championship and received the Wade Trophy.

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.

March 12, 2026: Senior Team Debut

On March 12, 2026, Paige Bueckers made her senior team debut, scoring 16 points with four rebounds and three assists in a 91–48 victory over Puerto Rico during the FIBA World Cup qualification tournament held in San Juan, Puerto Rico.