UConn’s near-decade-long championship ring drought ended with the greatest player ever to lace up for the program. Now, Paige Bueckers will take her court vision and dominance to the WNBA as the projected No. 1 overall pick. A fitting next step for one of the most magical players the sport has ever seen.

From being a Minnesota high school basketball sensation to being the face of UConn women’s basketball, Paige Bueckers has lived up to her name, “Paige Buckets.” Her legendary college basketball career was what was expected – battling injuries, three-time All-American, National Player of the Year winner as a freshman, record-breaking scorer and passer, and now, leading the Huskies to the illustrious NCAA Championship for the first time since 2016.

Off the court, Bueckers’ personal life is also a hot topic. For a long time, fans have speculated if she is dating NBA star Jalen Suggs, her childhood friend from Minnesota. The two are close friends, and their relationship dates back to grade school. So is the UConn star dating Suggs? Let’s fact-check!

What is the relation between Paige Bueckers and Jalen Suggs?

Paige Bueckers and Jalen Suggs’ friendship goes back to the streets and the basketball courts of the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Their friendship started as grade-schoolers. And, of course, it started on the basketball court. Jalen was playing on the same team as one of Paige’s family friends. And that budding superstar, Paige, would hop in on their practices and copy the same drills the boys would be running through. Little did Paige and Jalen know that those moments of in-and-out dribbles would create the foundation for an incredibly special relationship.

As they got a bit older, their friendship only grew. Paige and Jalen both flourished in AAU basketball, becoming the best players on their boys and girls teams, and then again in high school. The two even attended the Steph Curry SC30 Select Camp during their senior year. Where both were tabbed as the top players in attendance in their respective camps. It was clear the friendship between the two hadn’t solely grown because they were playing basketball. They were motivating each other to be the players they knew they could be.

Despite college journeys taking them to opposite sides of the country, Paige at UConn and Jalen at Gonzaga, they have cheered for each other along the way. Suggs attending Bueckers’ basketball games; Bueckers attending Suggs’ football games. Their relationship is fueled by an unbreakable sense of respect and the continuous cheering they do for one another, something that’s been forged through the years.

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However, despite the longstanding gossip of a possible relationship, there has never been word of them being together. In fact, Paige even asked Jalen out to the Sadie Hawkins Dance in high school, to which he accepted. It wasn’t a romantic move, though, but rather a friendly one. The bond of friendship between Paige and Jalen is about appreciation and support, about pushing each other to achieve—and to celebrate when they do—not romance.

Which team does Jalen Suggs play for in the NBA?

While Paige Bueckers continues to rise to stardom in the women’s basketball universe, 23-year-old Jalen Suggs has made a name for himself as a steady contributor in the NBA. After a collegiate season to remember at Gonzaga, Suggs was taken 5th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic. The defensive-minded playmaker quickly became a key defensive piece in Orlando. In his third NBA season, he earned career-best stats and was recognized with NBA All-Defensive Second Team honors.

However, Suggs’ rise to NBA fame hasn’t come without struggles. Suggs suffered a stress fracture in early 2025 that saw him miss the rest of the NBA season. But Suggs is expected to come back better than ever as he looks to continue his impressive career.