Grassroots to greatness: Paige Bueckers on her rise to the top
- 14 April 2025
Alone on the ladder, Paige Bueckers was the last of her teammates to cut down the net in Tampa, hanging the threaded crown around her neck. Her team had just won the 2025 National Championship, her final line in an illustrious list of accolades, including winning National Player of the Year as a first-year student and becoming a three-time unanimous first-team All American. On 6 April, the final time she wore her university kit, she helped the storied programme win its record 12th national championship, UConn's first in nine years.
The ending was a triumph, but the journey was long. Multiple leg injuries at the beginning of her second year threatened to end Paige's playing career. Her UConn teams had made the Final Four in three of the last four seasons. Each had fallen short of a title. In part, she credits her perseverance to the deep basketball communities that provided a framework for overcoming adversity. Her upbringing in Minnesota's secondary school basketball scene, her time making an impact in grassroots pipelines like Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL), her sisterhood with UConn women's hoops—each community played a role in reminding her why she was never alone, right up until the final buzzer sounded, standing atop that ladder after the title game.
Before the WNBA draft, we asked Paige how she sees herself as a product of these communities, how they helped stoke her competitive drive and what she's looking forward to in her new community: the WNBA. Hear from the gamechanger in her own words, below.
The first Nike team Paige played on was North Tartan Nike EYBL, made for the best players in Minnesota. She continues to grow the game for the next generation, including those rising in Nike EYBL.
The early communities that shape you can still be competitive. I played in Nike EYBL for a long time, starting with my North Tartan EYBL team. They have great tournaments, they take care of their players, they created space for us to learn the game. But most of all, it was a competitive environment, with the best of the best players. We felt supported in wanting to be the best.
Mentors at the grassroots level can be so influential for younger players. One of my earliest coaches, Tara Starks, had been coaching me since I was in year 4, up until I left secondary school. Now that the roles are reversed and I find myself as an athlete with influence, I want to be a mentor to younger players who are looking up to me. Specifically, I want to help the next generation understand the importance of taking care of your body, eating and sleeping well, and playing a variety of sports to develop your athleticism.
I think Minnesota is as much of a basketball state as it is a hockey state. The cold weather during the wintertime forces you to stay inside, and a lot of players see basketball as an escape and a competitive outlet. The secondary school basketball scene is very competitive. Plus, as a young player, the Minnesota Lynx dynasty was everything to me, watching them win titles and following players like Lindsay Whalen, who's homegrown and went to University of Minnesota. Growing up in the state's basketball culture really inspired me to perform at my best.
Paige Bueckers supporting UConn Head Coach Geno Auriemma in November 2024 after Geno broke the record for most all-time wins in university basketball.
"The best programmes can make winning national championships look easy, but the preparation that goes into actually winning one is built on so much hard work".
At a programme like UConn, your standards are put in front of you on a daily basis. Every training session had the chance to be the hardest session of your life, where you and the whole team are being challenged in ways you never thought possible. The best programmes can make winning national championships look easy, but the preparation that goes into actually winning one is built on so much hard work.
Teams can be close, but sisterhood between teammates is a completely different bond. What makes UConn different from any other programme is the sisterhood we have. Every player, regardless of when you played, is a member of the family, and you're always welcomed back to campus as a member of that family. UConn will always be a part of me.
True communities are there for you in adversity. When I was young, I thought I was invincible. Nothing could break me. When I had those leg injuries starting in my second year, one of the most important people who helped me get through it was my teammate Azzi Fudd, who was dealing with her own injuries. Sharing that with her and experiencing the low points together really motivated us to come back and attack our rehab journey, to come back stronger. We leaned on each other, leaned on our team and leaned on our families to overcome that physical and emotional pain.
The sisterhood of the WNBA is stronger than ever. Obviously, I talk a lot with the UConn alums, including DT [Diana Taurasi] and Sue [Bird]. We all have each other's numbers. If I ever need advice, I'll send out a text, and someone is always ready to answer and be there for me. Outside of UConn, Natasha Cloud and Jewell Loyd are two players who I've developed a bond with. I consider all of them mentors, leaders and supporters.
As I watch the W, I'm seeing how players are so united in backing each other up. A lot of the league's stars are confident and fearless in speaking out, unafraid to stand up for what's right. On the basketball front, they're always telling us—the players about to enter into the league—how they're here for us through the bumps and bruises of becoming a pro. Inside and outside of the game, the league uses its voice to support its players.