In seventh grade, Bueckers played for the tenth-grade andjunior varsity basketball teams atHopkins High School inMinnetonka.[13] By that time, she was also playing year-round with North Tartan, anAmateur Athletic Union (AAU) program competing in theNike Elite Youth Basketball League, a national circuit.[14][15] Bueckers grew four inches in the year before her eighth-grade season.[16] She joined Hopkins'varsity team in eighth grade under head coach Brian Cosgriff, averaging 8.9points, 3.5rebounds, 2.1assists and 1.4steals per game.[17][18] She led her team inthree-point shooting and ranked second in assists. Hopkins finished with a 28–3 record and a runner-up finish at the Class 4A state tournament,[a] where Bueckers was named to the All-Tournament Team.[5][21]
High school career
Bueckers made her freshman season debut for Hopkins High School on November 25, 2016, recording 28 points, five steals and four assists in a 74–34 win overOsseo Senior High School.[21] That year, she assumed a more important role than in her eighth-grade season and became one of the team's leading scorers and passers.[22] As a freshman, Bueckers averaged 20.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.5 steals and 4.1 assists per game, earning All-Metro first team honors from theStar Tribune.[23] She led Hopkins to a 31–1 record, its only loss coming againstElk River High School at the Class 4A state championship. Bueckers made the Class 4A All-Tournament Team.[24][25]
In January 2018, as a sophomore, Bueckers was sidelined with an ankle injury that had been hurting her for the first two months of the season.[26] She finished the season averaging 22.3 points, 6.8 assists and 5.9 rebounds per game.[27] Bueckers helped Hopkins to a 28–4 record but suffered her third straight loss at the Class 4A state title game, despite leading all scorers with 37 points.[28] She was namedStar Tribune Metro Player of the Year, becoming the first sophomore to win the award since its creation 34 years earlier.[27] Bueckers was also recognized asMinnesotaGatorade Player of the Year for athletic excellence, academic achievement and exemplary character.[29]
As ajunior on February 1, 2019, Bueckers scored a career-high 43 points in a 69–66 win overWayzata High School and surpassed 2,000 career points.[30][31] On March 16, despite having an illness that had caused her to vomit earlier in the day, she recorded 13 points, seven assists, five rebounds and five steals as her team won the Class 4A state championship, 74–45, overStillwater Area High School.[32][33] Hopkins finished the season with a 32–0 record.[34] Bueckers averaged 24.4 points, 5.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 4.6 steals per game, repeating asStar Tribune Metro Player of the Year and Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year.[35][36] She was one of three finalists for the Gatorade National Player of the Year award.[37] That year, Bueckers moved to the Minnesota Metro Stars AAU program, following her former North Tartan coach Tara Starks.[38][39] In August 2019, she was named AAU Player of the Year by Prep Girls Hoops.[40]
On January 29, 2020, during hersenior season, Bueckers became the first female high school player to be featured on the cover of basketball magazineSlam.[37] Toward the end of the season, she suffered from a stress reaction in her right leg due to overuse.[41] Bueckers sometimes wore awalking boot as a preventative measure, was limited in practice and missed the first game of the state tournament.[42][43] She led Hopkins to the Class 4A state championship game, which was canceled on March 13 amid theCOVID-19 pandemic.[44] Bueckers was selected to play at theMcDonald's All-American Game and theJordan Brand Classic, two prestigious high school all-star games, but both were canceled due to thepandemic.[45][46][47] She averaged 21.4 points, 9.4 assists, 5.4 steals and five rebounds per game, leading Hopkins to another undefeated season and 62 consecutive wins.[48] Bueckers was again honored asStar Tribune Metro Player of the Year, becoming the award's first three-time winner.[49] She was named Gatorade Female High School Athlete of the Year,[18] Gatorade National Player of the Year,[50]Naismith Prep Player of the Year,[51]Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year,[52] andMinnesota Miss Basketball.[53] Bueckers finished as Hopkins' all-time leader in points (2,877), assists (795) and steals (574).[54]
Bueckers has been regarded as one of the best players inMinnesota girls' high school basketball history.[12][33][55] During her senior season,Star Tribune columnist Chip Scoggins compared her influence in the state to that ofLindsay Whalen, writing, "A generation of girls—now young women—throughout theTwin Cities andgreater Minnesota grew up idolizing [Whalen] as a basketball star. Bueckers is having that same impact on a new generation of girls."[56]
Entering her freshman season atUConn,sports publications described Bueckers as the program's most hyped recruit sinceBreanna Stewart in 2012.[61][62] Unlike Stewart and other formerUConn stars, she became her team's leader from the beginning of her college career.[63]Megan Walker,UConn's top scorer from the previous year, had opted to forgo her senior season to enter the2020 WNBA draft, leavingthe 2020–21 team with no seniors.[64][65] Bueckers was unanimously selected as theBig East Preseason Freshman of the Year by the league's coaches.[66]
"I think the most impressive thing about Paige is that she plays at the same pace the entire game. That usually comes a bit later for most players, but she's got it at such a young age. She makes the game slow down for her. I'm always surprised when she shoots and it doesn't go in."
On December 12, 2020, Bueckers made her collegiate debut forUConn, recording 17 points, nine rebounds, five assists and five steals in a 79–23 win overUMass Lowell.[68] On January 21, 2021, she made a three-pointer with 25 seconds left to help defeatrivalTennessee, 67–61, despite shooting 3-of-14 from the field for a season-low nine points.[69] Late in the game, Bueckers sprained her ankle, causing her to miss the next contest againstGeorgetown.[70] On February 3, she posted a season-high 32 points and seven assists in a 94–62 victory overSt. John's of New York. It was the highest-scoring performance by aUConn freshman sinceTina Charles in 2007.[71] Two days later, she scored 30 points in an 87–58 win overMarquette.[72] In her next game, Bueckers recorded 31 points, six steals and five assists, scoring her team's final 13 points, in a 63–59 overtime win overSouth Carolina, the number one team in theAP Poll. She became the first player in program history to have three straight 30-point games.[73] On February 27, Bueckers posted 20 points, a program-record 14 assists and seven rebounds in a 97–68 victory overButler.[74] After leadingUConn to theBig East regular-season title, she was namedBig East Player of the Year and unanimousBig East Freshman of the Year, joiningMaya Moore as the only players to win both awards in the same season. She was also a unanimous first-team All-Big East andBig East All-Freshman Team selection.[75] On March 8, Bueckers recorded 23 points, six rebounds and four assists in a 73–39 win over Marquette at theBig East tournament title game. She was named most outstanding player (MOP) of the tournament.[76]
Bueckers was named to the university'sdean's list her freshman year, which required aGPA of at least 3.72, and was involved insocial justice causes.[95][96]
Sophomore season
Bueckers in her sophomore season debut againstArkansas in 2021
On April 30, 2021, Bueckers underwent surgery on her right ankle to repair an osteochondral defect, joint damage involving the bone and cartilage.[97] She could not practice for most of the offseason while recovering from surgery,[98] but was cleared to return by October.[99] Bueckers entered her sophomore season as a unanimous selection for bothBig East Preseason Player of the Year and the AP preseason All-America team.[100][101] Among the newcomers toUConn wasAzzi Fudd, the number one recruit in the 2021 class and Bueckers' close friend.[102]
Bueckers made her season debut on November 14, 2021, recording a season-high 34 points, six rebounds and four assists in a 95–80 win againstArkansas.[103] She matched the program record for points in a season opener set byKerry Bascom in 1989.[104][105] On December 5, Bueckers injured her left knee while dribbling the ball up the court with 40 seconds remaining in a 73–54 victory overNotre Dame, and had to be carried off the floor by teammates. AnMRI andCT scans revealed that she suffered atibial plateau fracture with an estimated recovery period of six to eight weeks.[106] On December 13, Bueckers underwent surgery to repair the fracture and a previously undisclosed lateralmeniscus tear. She was expected to be sidelined for eight more weeks.[107] During Bueckers' absence,UConn had a 15–4 record and briefly fell out of the top 10 in the AP Poll for the first time since 2005.[108] The team's winning streaks of 240 games against unranked teams and 169 games against conference opponents ended in losses toGeorgia Tech andVillanova, respectively.[109][110]
Bueckers was cleared to return against St. John's on February 25, 2022. She came off the bench for the first time in her career and scored eight points, playing only 13 minutes due to a minutes restriction, in a 93–38 victory.[111] Bueckers continued to receive limited playing time until theNCAA tournament,[112] andUConn won theBig East tournament despite her scoring only two points in the championship game againstVillanova.[113] Her offensive production also declined from before her injury.[114] On March 28, at the Elite Eight of theNCAA Tournament, Bueckers led her team to a 91–87 double-overtime win over top-seededNC State, as UConn reached its 14th consecutive Final Four. She scored a game-high 27 points on 10-15 from the field, including 15 points in the two overtime periods (4-5 from the field and 6-6 from the free-throw line), and was named MOP of the Bridgeport Regional.[115] In the Final Four, Bueckers recorded 14 points, five assists and four rebounds in a 63–58 victory against top-seededStanford, the defending champions.[116][117] In a 64–49 loss to top-seededSouth Carolina at thenational championship game,[118] Bueckers was the onlyUConn player to score in double digits as she posted 14 points and six rebounds, and was named to the Final Four All-Tournament Team.[119] Bueckers was an AP All-American Honorable Mention selection.[120] As a sophomore, she averaged 14.6 points, four rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.[121]
In addition to her athletic honors, Bueckers was again named to the university's dean's list for her first semester as a sophomore.[1]
Redshirt year
On August 3, 2022,UConn announced that Bueckers hadtorn theanterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left knee during apick-up game on August 1 and would miss the entire2022–23 season.[122] She received an additional year of college eligibility afterredshirting the season.[123] On September 1, Bueckers announced she would return toUConn for the 2023–24 season instead of declaring for the2023 WNBA draft, for which she was eligible.[124] In her absence, the team finished the2022–23 season with a 31–6 record, winningBig East regular season andtournament titles.UConn lost toOhio State in the Sweet 16 of theNCAA tournament, marking the first time they did not reach the Final Four since 2008.[125]
Junior season
Bueckers vs Minnesota in 2023
On August 9, 2023, 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.[126] Entering her redshirt junior season, she was named an AP preseason All-American and Big East Preseason Player of the Year.[127][128] On November 8, Bueckers made her season debut, recording eight points, seven rebounds and four assists in 21 minutes in a 102–58 win overDayton.[129] On November 16, she scored 31 points in a 78–67 loss to AP No. 2UCLA at theCayman Islands Classic.[130] Bueckers tied Maya Moore as the fastest player in UConn history to reach 1,000 career points (55 games) on December 10, scoring 26 points in a 76–64 victory against AP No. 24North Carolina.[131] On January 17, 2024, she posted a season-high 32 points and seven rebounds in an 83–59 win overSeton Hall.[132] At the end of the regular season, Bueckers was named Big East Player of the Year and was a unanimous first-team all-conference selection.[133] She helped UConn win theBig East tournament, where she was named MOP after recording 27 points and five blocks in a 78–42 win over Georgetown in the final.[134] In the second round of the2024 NCAA tournament, Bueckers tied her season-high of 32 points, while recording 10 rebounds, six assists and four steals, in a 72–64 win overSyracuse.[135] In the Elite Eight, she posted 28 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in an 80–73 victory over one-seedUSC, earning Portland 3 Regional MOP honors.[136] She scored 17 points in a 71–69 loss to one-seedIowa in the Final Four.[137]
For a second time, Bueckers was a unanimous first-team All-American, being selected to the WBCA Coaches' All-American team and earning first-team All-American recognition from the AP and the USBWA.[138] She was also named the Big East Scholar-Athlete of the Year and earnedCSC First Team Academic All-American honors.[139] On February 16, 2024, she announced that she would return to UConn for the 2024–25 season, despite being projected as a top-three pick in the2024 WNBA draft.[140]
Senior season
Bueckers vs South Carolina in February 2025
In her final season at UConn, Bueckers led the Huskies to an undefeated Big East season (18–0), a Big East Tournament championship, and ultimately their 12th NCAA national title. Bueckers averaged 19.9 points, 4.6 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 0.8 blocks per game in the 38 she played.[141]
Bueckers entered her senior season as an AP preseason All-American and the Big East Preseason Player of the Year.[142][143] On November 7, 2024, she opened her season with 13 points, seven assists, and five steals in an 86–32 win overBoston University.[144] Eight days later, Bueckers scored 29 points, including 16 in the first quarter, in a 69–58 win over AP No. 14 North Carolina.[145] On November 27, she scored 29 points again, leading UConn to a 73–60 victory over AP No. 18Ole Miss at the Baha Mar Championship final.[146] Bueckers suffered a left knee sprain after colliding with an opposing player against Villanova on January 5, 2025 and missed her team's next two games.[147] As part of an 18-point effort against Seton Hall on January 19, she became the fastest player in program history to reach 2,000 career points after 102 career games.[148] On February 16, Bueckers recorded 12 points and 10 assists for her firstdouble-double of the season, helping UConn upset AP No. 4 South Carolina, 87–58.[149] During her final game of the regular season, she was inducted into theHuskies of Honor, a program that honors All-American players at UConn.[150] Bueckers received the Big East Player of the Year award for the third time in her career, and was unanimously named first-team All-Big East.[151] In the2025 Big East tournament final, she recorded 24 points and eight rebounds in a 70–50 victory overCreighton. She became the first player to win Big East tournament MOP three times.[152]
Bueckers opened the2025 NCAA tournament againstArkansas State in the first round and scored 11 points in a 103-34 win.[153] In the second round of the tournament, she scored 34 points in a 91–57 win overSouth Dakota State.[154] In the Sweet 16, she scored a career-high 40 points, including 29 in the second half, in an 82–59 victory overOklahoma. She became the fourth UConn player to record at least 40 points in a game and the first to do so in the NCAA tournament.[155] In the Elite Eight, Bueckers posted 31 points and six assists, leading her team to a 78–64 win against top-seededUSC and being named MOP of the Spokane 4 Regional. She tied her own program record with three consecutive 30-point games, while scoring a total of 105 points, the most by a UConn player over a three-game span.[156] Bueckers won her first national championship, scoring 17 points in an 82–59 win over top-seededSouth Carolina in thetitle game on April 6, 2025. She surpassed Maya Moore for the most career points by a UConn player in the NCAA tournament and moved to third among all players.[157] Bueckers was a unanimous first-team All-American for the third time in her career, received theWade Trophy as the top NCAA Division I player, and won her secondNancy Lieberman Award as the top Division I point guard.[158][159] She finished her career with the highest scoring average (19.9) and the third-most points (2,439) in program history.[160] On May 5, Bueckers was announced as the winner of the 2025Honda Sports Award.[161] On October 22, she was named a finalist for the 2025NCAA Woman of the Year Award.[162]
On March 28, 2025, Bueckers announced that she would enter the2025 WNBA draft. She was projected to be thefirst overall pick in the draft by many publications.[163]
Professional career
WNBA
Dallas Wings (2025–present)
Bueckers with theDallas Wings vs Minnesota Lynx in 2025
Bueckers was selected as thefirst overall pick in the2025 WNBA draft by theDallas Wings.[164] On May 16, 2025, she made her regular season debut, scoring 10 points in a 112–78 loss to theMinnesota Lynx.[165] Five days later, Bueckers had her first career double-double, with 12 points and 10 assists in an 85–81 loss to the Lynx.[166] On May 27, Bueckers helped the Wings to their first win of the season, accruing 21 points and 7 assists against theConnecticut Sun in a return to her college stomping grounds.[167] Bueckers shattered her previous career-high on June 11th, scoring 35 points on 13/19 shooting from the field (5 of 7 from three) despite the loss to thePhoenix Mercury. It was her first appearance in four games while in concussion protocol and dealing with an illness.[168]
Bueckers became the fastest player in league history to reach 200 points, 50 rebounds and 50 assists.[169] On June 30, she was selected to play in the2025 WNBA All-Star Game, becoming the eighth WNBA rookie to be named an All-Star starter.[170]
On July 3, Bueckers was awarded June'sRookie of the Month, after averaging 21.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.9 blocks, per game.[169]
On August 4, she was awarded July's Rookie of the Month after averaging 18.2 points, 5.2 assists, and 1.8 steals per game.[171] On August 15, in a 97–96 loss to theLos Angeles Sparks, Bueckers scored 29 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds, breaking the Wings' rookie assist record with her 143rd assist of the year and became the fastest rookie in WNBA history to reach 500 points and 100 assists.[172]
On August 20, Bueckers scored 44 points in an 81–80 loss to theLos Angeles Sparks. It was the most points by a rookie in WNBA history and the 10th most points by any player in WNBA history.[173] It tiesCynthia Cooper-Dyke's 1997 record for most points scored in a game by a WNBA first-year player, although Bueckers' achievement is considered to be the "rookie" record, as Cooper-Dyke's record was set in the WNBA's inaugural season, and the 34 year-old Cooper-Dyke had played in professional leagues prior to that. Bueckers also became the first player in WNBA history to score 40-plus points in a game while shooting 80% from the field.[174] After this win by the Sparks, the Wings were officially out of playoff contention.[175] On August 24, Bueckers scored nine points in an 90–81 loss to theGolden State Valkyries, bringing an end to her run of 30 straight double-digit scoring performances to start her career. The streak is the longest ever by a guard and third overall for the most consecutive double-digit games by a rookie in WNBA history, placing Bueckers only behindCandace Parker (32 games) andA'ja Wilson (33 games).[176]
On September 3, for the third consecutive month, Bueckers was named the WNBA Rookie of the Month, after averaging 20.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists in August. She became the 10th player in league history and first in franchise history to earn the distinction three times.[177] On September 4, in an 84–80 loss to theGolden State Valkyries, Bueckers recorded 27 points, six assists, four rebounds, and four steals, becoming the Wings' franchise rookie scoring leader, surpassingArike Ogunbowale's 2019 record of 630 points.[178] On September 11, in a 97–76 win over thePhoenix Mercury, Bueckers concluded her rookie campaign with 24 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists.[179] TheDallas Wings finished the regular season with a 10–34 record, falling to last place in league standings.
Over the course of 36 games, Bueckers averaged 19.2 points, 5.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game. She led all rookies this season in total points (692) and assists (194), as well as points and assists per game. She became the second rookie in WNBA history to record multiples games of at least 35 points. Bueckers also set the franchise rookie record for points and assists, and recorded the third-most points and assists by a rookie in league history.[180] She was also the only player in the season to rank in the top ten in points, assists, and steals per game, as well as being the only player to score 40 or more points in a single game.[181][182][183] Bueckers was namedWNBA Rookie of the Year, receiving 70 of 72 votes,[184] and was selected for theAll-WNBA Second Team[185] andAll-Rookie Team.[186]
Unrivaled
On April 13, 2025, ESPN reported that Bueckers had signed a 3-year deal with three-on-three basketball leagueUnrivaled. The first year of her Unrivaled contract is reportedly paying her more than her entire four-year WNBA rookie contract.[187] On September 22, Bueckers was officially announced as one of the players for the2026 Unrivaled season.[188] On November 5, Bueckers was drafted toBreeze BC.[189]
Listed at 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m), Bueckers has typically played as apoint guard,[200][201] though in the 2023–24 season, she has started at power forward due toUConn's lack of available forwards.[202] Analysts praise her size, quickness and agility.[203][204] Bueckers, who has described herself as a pass-first player, is lauded for her passing, court vision and her ability to read the defense.[205][206] AnalystMonica McNutt called her "arguably one of the best playmakers in the game."[207] As a scorer, Bueckers is known for her mid-range game and also scores efficiently at the rim and from three-point range.[208] Her pull-upjump shot has been described as her signature move, being likened toSue Bird by UConn associate head coachChris Dailey.[207][209] Her playing style has drawn comparisons toDiana Taurasi, due to her size, confidence and scoring ability,[204][210] though UConn head coachGeno Auriemma has also mentioned several similarities between her andBreanna Stewart. Bueckers models her game after Taurasi andKyrie Irving.[5][211]
Bueckers has earned widespread respect for her humility,[216] team-first mentality,[217] and vocal leadership.[218] Teammates and coaches have praised her for fostering a strong locker room culture, mentoring younger players,[219] and embracing the spotlight with gratitude and grace.[220]
Bueckers' father, Bob Bueckers, is asoftware engineer and played high school basketball as a point guard.[3][41] Her mother, Amy Fuller (née Dettbarn), represented theUniversity of St. Thomas incross country andtrack and field.[3] When Bueckers was three years old, her parents divorced. She remained with her father while her mother remarried Brian Fuller and moved toBillings, Montana.[7] Her father also began a new relationship and later had a son, Drew.[222] Bueckers has another younger brother, Ryan, and a younger sister, Lauren.[3]
She is a Christian and attributes her confidence and success on the basketball court to God.[223]
She has hosted a charity basketball clinic called "Buckets with Bueckers" for young athletes in Minnesota and Montana.[5]
Bueckers has voiced support for theBlack Lives Matter movement, in part because her half-brother, Drew, whom she has described as her best friend,[224] is biracial. She participated in marches for racial justice after themurder of George Floyd in her home state ofMinnesota.[225][226] During her acceptance speech at the2021 ESPY Awards, Bueckers celebrated and honored Black women, bringing attention to what she said are racial disparities in media coverage of women's basketball players.[227]
In 2025, Bueckers confirmed she is in a relationship with former UConn teammateAzzi Fudd.[228] The pair have been close friends since they were 16 and competing against each other for starting point guard on the U16 USA Basketball national team.[229]
Business interests
Bueckers is represented byagent Lindsay Kagawa Colas ofWasserman. She signed with Wasserman as aname, image and likeness (NIL) client in August 2021, about one month after theNCAAallowed student-athletes to be compensated for the use of theirNIL.[230] Described as the "face ofNIL" for women's basketball byThe Athletic in 2022,[231] industry analysts have projected her as having one of the highest earning potentials fromNIL among college athletes, because of both her success in basketball and her largesocial media following.[232][233][234] On April 4, 2022, herInstagram account reached one million followers,[235] making her reportedly the first women's college basketball player to achieve the mark.[236] She was also the inaugural winner of the Best NIL Athlete of the Year award bySports Business Journal.[237]
In November 2021, Bueckers signed her first two majorendorsement deals withStockX andGatorade, becoming the first college athlete to sign withGatorade.[238][239] On September 6, 2023, Bueckers signed a multiyear deal withNike; as part of the deal, she promoted the company's new GT Hustle 2 shoe.[240] Bueckers also has a special colorway of the GT Hustle 3, making her the first college athlete to have her own Nike shoe.[241] She has also signed deals withCrocs,Bose andNerf.[242][243][244] She is an advisor for Overtime Select, a basketball league created by sports media company,Overtime, for girls high school players.[245]
Bueckers' scoring success has earned her the nickname "Paige Buckets".[246] On July 13, 2021, she filed for atrademark on the nickname for use on athletic apparel, such as shirts, pants, jackets, footwear, hats and uniforms.[247]
In August 2024, it was announced that Bueckers had signed an NIL deal with the 3-on-3 basketball leagueUnrivaled, with plans for her to make her league debut in the 2026 season.[248]
Philanthropy
Bueckers created the Paige Bueckers Foundation.[249][250]
On February 7, 2022, she announced a partnership withCash App, through which she launched the Paige Bueckers Foundation, aimed at promoting social justice and creating opportunities for families and children.[251] On March 31, Bueckers became the first student-athletebrand ambassador forChegg. Working with the nonprofit branch ofChegg, she partnered with hunger relief company Goodr to host a freepop-up grocery market inMinneapolis to address food insecurity among college students.[250] In the following year, she opened another store in Hopkins West Junior High School, where she had attended.[252]
Influencer
Bueckers has been recognised as aninfluencer in basketball, fashion, and culture.[253][217] During her senior season,Star Tribune columnist Chip Scoggins compared her influence in the state to that ofLindsay Whalen, writing, "A generation of girls—now young women—throughout theTwin Cities andgreater Minnesota grew up idolizing [Whalen] as a basketball star. Bueckers is having that same impact on a new generation of girls."[56]In 2022, Bueckers was named to theFortune40 Under 40 list, which honors influential young people in business,[254] andThe Athletic's College Sports 40 Under 40 list, which recognizes the most influential young people in the college sports industry.[255] On May 16, 2025, the day of Bueckers' WNBA debut, her hometown ofHopkins, Minnesota, renamed itself "Paige Bueckers, Minnesota" for the day.[256]
On September 30, 2025, Bueckers was named to the 2025TIME100 Next list as one of the most influential rising stars of the year.[257]Diana Taurasi wrote about Bueckers forTime: "The easiest thing to do in a game is shoot the basketball every single time you touch it, especially when you’re the best player on the court. And Paige Bueckers is the best player on the court 99.99% of the time because she’s so gifted offensively, defensively—she disrupts so much. The hardest thing to do is pass the ball. Paige does it, and that’s what sets her apart."[258] On October 6, Bueckers was named to theMarie Claire's 2025 Changemakers list, for using her spotlight to speak out for gender equity and mental health in sports.[259]
Notes
^In girls' basketball, 4A is one of fourclassifications governed by theMinnesota State High School League. It includes the largest 64 schools by enrollment, as determined every two years, with schools being allowed to appeal their classification.[19][20]
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