UConn star Paige Bueckers continues to make history.
On Monday, Nike named Bueckers as the first name, image and likeness athlete to design and launch a player edition sneaker, with the brand debuting Bueckers’ Nike G.T. Hustle 3 on Saturday.
“It’s definitely motivating to wear your own shoe,” Bueckers said in a statement. “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 features details personal to the 2021 Naismith Player of the Year. The area codes for Storrs, Conn., and Bueckers’ hometown in Minnesota intersect on the left tongue, and a text bubble with the phrase “Be You, Be Great” is printed on the left heel as a nod to the message she receives from her father before every game. “Bueckers” is printed on the right heel.
Bueckers first signed an NIL deal with Nike in September 2023, adding the apparel company to a lengthy list of deals with companies such as Gatorade, Dunkin’, Bose and Chegg.
In August, Bueckers also signed an NIL deal with Unrivaled, the new winter 3×3 professional league co-founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier. She became the first NCAA athlete to receive ownership equity in a league. She is expected to play in the league next year.
Bueckers’ playing future has been a recent topic of conversation following the 2025 WNBA Draft Lottery in mid-November. The Dallas Wings won the lottery, allowing them to select Bueckers No. 1 if the Huskies star declares for April’s draft.
Bueckers is a redshirt senior, though she still could return to UConn for an additional season after receiving an extra year of eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Bueckers told The Athletic this summer that she planned for this college season to be her last, and she later shared in a social media post that she was taking part in her last UConn media day this fall.
She joins a growing group of women’s basketball players to have design input on Nike sneakers. Jewell Loyd and Jonquel Jones are among WNBA players who unveiled Nike player-exclusive sneakers this past season, while Sabrina Ionescuhas a popular signature sneaker and A’ja Wilson’s will be on the market by the 2025 WNBA season. Caitlin Clark also debuted several player-exclusive sneakers, and she reportedly will receive a Nike signature sneaker in the future as part of an endorsement deal she signed last spring.
Through six games this season, Bueckers, a two-time first-team All-American, is averaging 22 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. UConn is undefeated and hosts Holy Cross on Tuesday before playing Louisville in the Women’s Champions Classic at Barclays Center on Saturday.
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(Photos courtesy of Nike)
