UConn famous person Paige Bueckers continues to build historical past.
On Monday, Nike named Bueckers as the primary title, symbol and likeness athlete to design and origination a participant version sneaker, with the logo debuting Bueckers’ Nike G.T. Hustle 3 on Saturday.
“It’s definitely motivating to wear your own shoe,” Bueckers mentioned in a observation. “I grew up wearing Nikes — all the signature shoes — so it’s surreal to have this player edition model. I just want to show out in it.”
The sneaker options main points non-public to the 2021 Naismith Participant of the Future. The branch codes for Storrs, Conn., and Bueckers’ homeland in Minnesota intersect at the left tongue, and a textual content bubble with the word “Be You, Be Great” is imprinted on the left heel as a nod to the message she receives from her father earlier than each and every recreation. “Bueckers” is imprinted on the proper heel.
Bueckers first signed an NIL do business in with Nike in September 2023, including the attire corporate to a long record of offer with corporations equivalent to Gatorade, Dunkin’, Bose and Chegg.
In August, Bueckers additionally signed an NIL do business in with Unequalled, the brandnew wintry weather 3×3 skilled league co-founded via Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier. She changed into the primary NCAA athlete to obtain possession fairness in a league. She is anticipated to play games within the league then generation.
Bueckers’ enjoying time has been a contemporary subject of dialog following the 2025 WNBA Draft Lottery in mid-November. The Dallas Wings gained game of chance, permitting them to make a choice Bueckers Deny. 1 if the Huskies famous person pronounces for April’s draft.
Bueckers is a redshirt senior, although she nonetheless may just go back to UConn for an spare season next receiving an excess generation of eligibility on account of the COVID-19 pandemic. On the other hand, Bueckers advised The Athletic this summer season that she deliberate for this faculty season to be her utmost, and she or he nearest shared in a social media put up that she was once participating in her utmost UConn media month q4.
She joins a rising team of girls’s basketball gamers to have design enter on Nike footwear. Jewell Loyd and Jonquel Jones are amongst WNBA gamers who unveiled Nike player-exclusive footwear this life season, age Sabrina Ionescuhas a widespread signature sneaker and A’ja Wilson’s might be available on the market via the 2025 WNBA season. Caitlin Clark additionally debuted a number of player-exclusive footwear, and she or he reportedly will obtain a Nike signature sneaker going forward as a part of an endorsement do business in she signed utmost spring.
Thru six video games this season, Bueckers, a two-time first-team All-American, is averaging 22 issues, 4.5 rebounds and four.5 assists in line with recreation. UConn is undefeated and hosts Holy Go on Tuesday earlier than enjoying Louisville within the Ladies’s Champions Vintage at Barclays Middle on Saturday.
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(Pictures courtesy of Nike)
