History of Paige Bueckers in Timeline

Paige Bueckers is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Wings in the WNBA. Before turning pro, she played college basketball for the UConn Huskies, leading her team to four Big East Tournament titles, four Final Four appearances, and a National Championship.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

October 20, 2001: Born

Paige Madison Bueckers was born on October 20, 2001.

Others born on this day/year

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

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

January 2018: Sidelined with ankle injury

In January 2018, Bueckers was sidelined with an ankle injury that had been hurting her for the first two months of the season.

February 1, 2019: Scored Career-High 43 Points

On February 1, 2019, as a junior, 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: Committed to University of Connecticut

On April 1, 2019, Bueckers announced her commitment to the University of Connecticut. The finalists she was considering were Notre Dame, Oregon State, Oregon, UCLA, Minnesota, South Carolina, Maryland, Texas and Duke.

August 2019: Named AAU Player of the Year

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

December 10, 2019: Named USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year

On December 10, 2019, Paige Bueckers was honored as USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year.

January 29, 2020: Featured on the Cover of Slam Magazine

On January 29, 2020, during her senior season, 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, 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.

January 21, 2021: Defeated Tennessee Despite Ankle Sprain

On January 21, 2021, Bueckers made a three-pointer with 25 seconds left to help defeat rival Tennessee, 67–61, despite shooting 3-of-14 from the field. She sprained her ankle late in the game, causing her to miss the next contest against Georgetown.

April 30, 2021: Underwent Ankle Surgery

On April 30, 2021, Bueckers underwent surgery on her right ankle to repair an osteochondral defect, joint damage involving the bone and cartilage.

July 2021: Won Best Female College Athlete ESPY Award

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

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

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

February 7, 2022: Partnership with Cash App

On February 7, 2022, Paige Bueckers announced a partnership with Cash App, through which she launched the Paige Bueckers Foundation, aimed at promoting social justice and creating 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 after recovering from an injury. Coming off the bench for the first time in her career, she scored eight points in 13 minutes due to a minutes restriction, contributing to a 93–38 victory.

August 3, 2022: ACL tear announcement

On August 3, 2022, UConn announced that Paige Bueckers had torn the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left knee during a pick-up game on August 1 and would miss the entire 2022–23 season. She received an additional year of college eligibility after redshirting the season.

2022: Named to Fortune 40 Under 40 list

In 2022, Paige Bueckers was named to the Fortune 40 Under 40 list, which honors influential young people in business, and The Athletic's College Sports 40 Under 40 list, which recognizes the most influential young people in the college sports industry.

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 recovering from an ACL injury. Prior to this, she was cleared for all activities except for five-on-five play.

September 6, 2023: Signs multiyear deal with Nike

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

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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: NIL Deal with Unrivaled League

In August 2024, Paige Bueckers signed an NIL deal with the 3-on-3 basketball league Unrivaled.

November 7, 2024: Season opener 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.

January 5, 2025: Left knee sprain against Villanova

On January 5, 2025, Paige Bueckers suffered a left knee sprain after colliding with an opposing player against Villanova and missed her team's next two games.

March 28, 2025: Announces entry into 2025 WNBA draft

On March 28, 2025, Paige Bueckers announced that she would enter the 2025 WNBA draft. She was projected to be the first overall pick in the draft by many publications.

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 surpassed Maya Moore for the most career points by a UConn player in the NCAA tournament and moved to third among all players.

April 13, 2025: Signs deal with Unrivaled league

On April 13, 2025, it was 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.