History of Paige Bueckers in Timeline

Paige Bueckers is an American professional basketball player currently playing for the Dallas Wings in the WNBA. She achieved significant success during her college career at the UConn Huskies, leading her team to four Big East Tournament wins, four Final Four appearances, and a National Championship title.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1989: Matched Program Record

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

1998: 11th Number-One Recruit

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

October 20, 2001: Paige Bueckers Born

On October 20, 2001, Paige Madison Bueckers was born. She would later become an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Wings of the WNBA.

Others born on this day/year

2005: UConn Fell Out of Top 10 in AP Poll

During Paige Bueckers' absence due to injury, UConn briefly fell out of the top 10 in the AP Poll for the first time since 2005.

2007: Highest-scoring performance since Tina Charles

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

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

November 25, 2016: High School Debut

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

January 2018: Ankle Injury Sidelines Bueckers

In January 2018, Paige Bueckers was sidelined due to an ankle injury that had been bothering her for two months. Despite this, she averaged 22.3 points, 6.8 assists, and 5.9 rebounds for the season.

February 1, 2019: Career-High 43 Points

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

April 1, 2019: Commitment to UConn

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

August 2019: AAU Player of the Year

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

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

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

2019: FIBA Under-19 World Cup MVP

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

January 29, 2020: Slam Cover Feature

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

December 12, 2020: Collegiate Debut

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

2020: Megan Walker Enters WNBA Draft

In 2020, Megan Walker, UConn's top scorer from the previous year, opted to forgo her senior season to enter the WNBA draft.

2020: Ranked Number One Player

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

January 21, 2021: Victory Over Tennessee

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

April 30, 2021: Ankle Surgery

On April 30, 2021, Paige Bueckers underwent surgery on her right ankle to repair an osteochondral defect.

July 13, 2021: Trademark Filing 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.

July 2021: Best Female College Athlete ESPY Award

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

November 14, 2021: Season Debut with 34 Points

On November 14, 2021, Paige Bueckers debuted for the season, scoring a season-high 34 points in a 95–80 victory against Arkansas.

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 sign with Gatorade.

February 7, 2022: Partnership with Cash App and Launch of Paige Bueckers Foundation

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, Bueckers was cleared to return against St. John's. 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 Bueckers had torn her ACL in her left knee during a pick-up game on August 1 and would miss the entire 2022–23 season, gaining an additional year of eligibility after redshirting the season.

2022: UConn reached the national title game

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

2022: Recognition on Fortune 40 Under 40 and The Athletic's College Sports 40 Under 40 Lists

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 Court

On August 9, 2023, Bueckers announced that she was fully cleared to return to the court, having been cleared for all activities except five-on-five play two months prior. She was named an AP preseason All-American and Big East Preseason Player of the Year before her redshirt junior season.

September 6, 2023: Nike Endorsement Deal

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

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

Check it on Amazon

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

On January 17, 2024, 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, 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, with plans for her to make her league debut in the 2026 season.

November 7, 2024: Season Opener

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

January 5, 2025: Knee Sprain Against Villanova

On January 5, 2025, 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, Bueckers announced that she would enter the 2025 WNBA draft and was projected to be the first overall pick by many publications.

April 6, 2025: Wins First National Championship

On April 6, 2025, 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 with Unrivaled Three-on-Three League

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