The 2024 NCAA women's championship game drew more viewers than the men's game for the first time in history. But Bueckers, as shown in this FRONTPAGE story, isn’t letting the attention get to her head.
I’ve got 14 minutes before joining a Zoom meeting with Paige Bueckers, so I kill time like any zillennial my age – TikTok. As soon as I open my For You Page, there’s a video of Bueckers dancing in unison with her teammate, KK Arnold. And then again – Bueckers shooting 29 three-pointers in a row. And then once again – a montage of Bueckers close-ups slowed down to a Sexxy Red track. It’s as if my iPhone somehow knows that Bueckers and I are about to do an interview together. Or perhaps the algorithm has figured out that the 22-year-old guard for UConn is currently on everyone's radar.
Humbleness is a known character trait of Bueckers. When I ask if she’s familiar with the attention she’s receiving online, she says yes but doesn’t gloat. With nearly 2.6 million followers on TikTok and 1.9 million followers on Instagram, Bueckers has already surpassed the celebrity of some WNBA players. But unlike most public figures with large followings, Bueckers runs her own social media. Yes – that means she’s aware of the thirsty fan edits and speculation with regard to her sexual orientation. She knows that she’s become an icon for the queer community.
While other college basketball players have found massive audiences from their university campus, Bueckers has simultaneously become an all-inclusive emblem of women's college basketball across several demographics. My teen nephew has Bueckers’ career stats memorized; legacy basketball stars such as LeBron James and A'ja Wilson sing her praises; over six brands have offered her partnerships. She's one of many college basketball players to come of age in the social media era, a time when young athletes have been able to cultivate celebrity-like followings before even going pro. But it isn’t just shooting buckets that has resulted in a diverse fanbase for the Minnesota native. An unassuming music taste, charisma – or as Bueckers’ calls it, “rizz” – and a budding fashion sense, distinguishes her from the rest.
“My style is a mix of feminine and masculine,” Bueckers tells me. She often combines baggy and fitted wear. Bright colors are her signature. In 2021 she began working with celebrity stylist Brittany Hampton, who dressed her in full Louis Vuitton for the 2024 WNBA draft. The all-white, oversized layered suit had many fans curious if she would sign a deal with LVMH in the near future and immediately positioned her as one to watch in fashion.
Bueckers’ tells me that her style has been evolving since childhood. A self-proclaimed sneakerhead, as a kid, she’d save up her allowance to cop the latest pair of basketball sneakers. Now, she’s a brand ambassador with StockX – a three-year partnership that is the first of its kind, following the implementation of NCAA’s new NIL policy, which allows college athletes to monetize their name, image, and likeness. And then there’s her 2023 multi-year deal with Nike, welding her to the likes of her idol Kobe Bryant.
In recent years, women's college basketball has seen a rise in popularity, with the 2024 NCAA women's championship game drawing more viewers than the men's game for the first time in history. The increase in viewership is attributed to a number of factors, the most obvious being star power. Even LeBron James himself has taken an interest in the world of women’s college basketball. "I think the popularity comes from the icons that they have in the women's game," James said in a post-game interview. "You look at Angel Reese, you look at JuJu [Watkins], you look at Caitlin Clark, you look at Paige [Bueckers]...”
Bueckers, in particular, has attracted many new fans for her versatility as a player. 2024 has been her biggest year yet, after she competed in the NCAA Women's Final Four, in April. Despite UConn’s loss to Iowa, Bueckers’ game that season set her up high in cultural standing in the world of basketball. But she isn’t letting the attention get to her head. In fact, she’s adverse to it. “I think it's really important to show all the stars, all the people who have paved the way, all the people who are playing right now, and all the people to come in the future,” she says. “The focus should be showing how talented these women are and how much they dedicate their minds, their bodies, and a lot of their time to be great at their sport.”
Sharing her platform isn’t just a handy stance for an interview. During a speech at the 2021 ESPYS, after being named the best college athlete in women’s sports, Bueckers seized the opportunity to pay homage to Black women and shed light on the lack of attention they receive in women’s basketball. “They don’t get the media coverage that they deserve. They’ve given so much to the sport, the community and society as a whole and their value is undeniable,” she said as nearly 1.2 million people watched. She also honored Maria Taylor, Robin Roberts, Maya Moore, Odicci Alexander, and Breonna Taylor. “I play a sport that has a large population of Black female athletes that I don't think get nearly close to the amount of attention that the white female athletes do,” she tells me. “So the ESPYS felt like the perfect opportunity to speak up on this because a great number of people were watching and following that event.”
In several respects, Bueckers is becoming a pivotal figure in the arena of the modern athlete – one that is incredibly conscious, vocal, and influential. It’s a responsibility she never asked for, but seems to intuitively understand how to own. “I feel like my purpose in life is to use my platform to try and help this world to become a better place. I know I'm not gonna change the world by myself, but I will do my part,” she tells me. Her allyship isn’t necessarily rooted in a generational trend often questioned for its authenticity, but instead, she tells me, from the influence of her direct community and a genuine desire to use her white privilege to dismantle discrimination. She tells me about being raised by a Black step-mother and coached by a Black woman throughout her pre-college basketball career. “I've grown up with a lot of influential Black women in my life,” she says, “and they’ve each helped raise me, mentored me, and did a lot of things for me.”
Just as important to her is her religion. Bueckers’ Instagram bio leads with a Bible verse – Proverbs 3:5-6, and she isn’t shy about publicly expressing her faith. As one of the highest acclaimed recruits, her freshman season finished in victory as she led the Huskies to the Final Four with averaging 20 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.9 rebounds per game. But as a sophomore, she was sidelined for nearly three months due to a fractured tibia, and missed her junior season with a torn ACL. Despite the setbacks, it isn’t at all obvious, when we chat, that she’s fallen victim to unforeseen circumstances.
Her greatest blessing, she says, is the opportunity to play for UConn. By the time she was in sixth grade, she had already been approached by a number of elite college basketball programs, including Notre Dame, Oregon State, Oregon, UCLA, Minnesota, South Carolina, Maryland, Texas and Duke. “UConn was always my dream school. I grew up watching women's college basketball and wanting to be part of a winning team and a program that produces pros,” she says, noting that she first started playing at age five. With regard to going pro, Bueckers is being patient. While she could have gone as high as No. 2 in the 2024 WNBA Draft, her series of injuries impacted her decision to return for the 2024-2025 college season. “Since I've been in college, I really haven't had a full healthy offseason to work on my craft and get stronger,” she tells me. “That's what this entire summer is focused on – getting mentally and physically prepared for next season.” Patience is likely to pay off, with many officials reporting that Bueckers will be the No. 1 prospect in the 2025 WNBA Draft class.
With a year of eligibility left, Bueckers plans to make up for lost time – among other things. She tells me that, at the moment, she’s really into Legos. And despite being from Minnesota, she admits she hasn’t gotten too much into Prince yet, so a deep-dive is next on her radar.
