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. She currently plays for the Dallas Wings in the WNBA and Breeze in Unrivaled. Before turning professional, she played college basketball for the UConn Huskies.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1998: UConn Number One Recruit

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

2007: Highest Scoring Performance

In 2007, Paige Bueckers had a season-high 32 points and seven assists in a victory over St. John's of New York on February 3, 2021. It was the highest-scoring performance by a UConn freshman since Tina Charles in 2007.

2012: Compared to Breanna Stewart

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

November 25, 2016: High School Debut

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

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 win over Wayzata High School and surpassed 2,000 career points.

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 in 2019.

2019: World Beach Games Appearance

In 2019, Paige Bueckers, as the youngest member, joined WNBA players Napheesa Collier and Jackie Young on the senior national team at the World Beach Games in Doha, Qatar, where she averaged 6.5 points per game and the United States finished fifth after losing to Brazil in the quarterfinals.

January 29, 2020: 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

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: Stepping into Leadership at UConn

In 2020, Paige Bueckers began her college career at UConn and immediately became the team's leader after Megan Walker left for the WNBA draft.

2020: Ranked Number One Player

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

January 21, 2021: Win Over Tennessee

On January 21, 2021, Paige Bueckers made a crucial three-pointer to help UConn defeat rival Tennessee, despite a challenging shooting night. She also sprained her ankle during the game.

July 13, 2021: Files Trademark for "Paige Buckets"

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

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 policy change allowing student-athletes to profit from their NIL.

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

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

November 2021: Major Endorsement Deals

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

2021: ESPY Awards Acceptance Speech

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

2021: UConn Final Four Appearance

In 2021, Paige Bueckers helped her team, UConn, reach the Final Four. That year, she also became the first freshman to be named national women's player of the year.

February 7, 2022: Partnership with Cash App, Launches 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 against St. John's, coming off the bench for the first time in her career. She scored 8 points in 13 minutes due to a minutes restriction, contributing to a 93–38 victory for UConn.

2022: UConn National Title Game Appearance

In 2022, Paige Bueckers led UConn to the national title game after missing most of her sophomore and all of her junior seasons 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, after previously being cleared for all activities except five-on-five play.

September 6, 2023: Signs with Nike, Promotes GT Hustle 2 Shoe

On September 6, 2023, Paige Bueckers entered a multiyear endorsement deal with Nike, subsequently promoting the company's new GT Hustle 2 shoe.

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2023: Shift to Power Forward Position

In the 2023-24 season, due to UConn's shortage of forwards, Bueckers began playing as a power forward, despite typically playing as a point guard.

January 17, 2024: Season-High 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: Announced 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: Signs NIL Deal with Unrivaled League

In August 2024, Paige Bueckers signed a Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal with the 3-on-3 basketball league Unrivaled, with plans for her debut in the 2026 season.

November 7, 2024: Season Opener Win Against 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: Declared for the 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: 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 with Unrivaled League

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

May 16, 2025: WNBA Regular Season Debut

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: Announcement as Unrivaled Player

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

2025: WNBA Draft and Rookie of the Year

In 2025, Paige Bueckers was selected first overall by the Dallas Wings in the WNBA draft. During that same year, she was named WNBA Rookie of the Year and selected to the All-WNBA Second Team.

2025: National Championship and Wade Trophy

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

March 12, 2026: Senior Team Debut

On March 12, 2026, Bueckers debuted on the senior team, achieving 16 points, four rebounds, and three assists in a 91–48 victory against Puerto Rico in the FIBA World Cup qualification tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico.