Paige Bueckers has been making waves in women’s basketball ever since she joined the UConn Huskies in 2020. However, one might think it would have been a Buecker’s cup of tea to become one of the most marketable players in the country, but you should know she covered a long road. Right from a young age, the NCAA star set her sights on basketball. And now, recreating a cherished childhood memory, she showcases just how far she has come.
Just last month, a tweet on X shared a snapshot of a five-year-old Paige Bueckers’ childhood notebook, where she had simply written that she liked basketball along with her photo and sketch at the top. Now with the 22-year-old hooper getting back to college, for one last time, chose to re-create the childhood memory.
UConn’s official X account shared her picture holding a new note but with the same template she wrote when she was five. The UConn tweeted, “Paige knew who she was from a very early age.” Bueckers couldn’t help but share it with a nostalgic note either: “Last first day of school ever🥹.”
https://twitter.com/paigebueckers1/status/1828141544777621742
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Did Paige Bueckers just make you nostalgic with this heartfelt tribute? React!
Paige had only started basketball when she wrote the first note. Her father, Bob Bueckers, was himself a point guard in high school and naturally took on coaching Paige. Though he tried to get the now-Huskies star to sign up for other sports, she remained steadfast in her interest. “When she was young, any sort of ball that was around we’d be throwing it,” Bob had recalled in an interview with Ballislife.
Well now, years in, Bueckers has made her mark in three seasons with the Huskies, and heading to the final season, she intends to make it count. Also widely expected to be a top pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, Bob couldn’t be prouder. But that also came with challenges for Bueckers.
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Not an easy road for Paige Bueckers
In 2020, Paige Bueckers made a splash at UConn with a standout debut, notching 17 points, nine rebounds, and five assists. Hailed as the most anticipated recruit since Breanna Stewart in 2012, Bueckers more than lived up to the hype during her rookie season. Starting 28 out of 29 games, she averaged 20 points, 4.9 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game. Her remarkable performance earned her the Naismith College Player of the Year award in 2021, making her the first freshman to achieve this honor.
A right ankle surgery during sophomore, and then an injured left knee that sideline her for about three months, health had been a concern for Bueckers. And just as she would overcome it, an ACL tear in 2022, pushing her to sit out the whole season, awaited her.
“It’s just something in life; there are going to be peaks and valleys… Overall, I think she’s handled it well,” Bob remarked on CT Insider after her first injury. In her comeback season, Paige Bueckers fared more than just ‘well’.
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Starting 39 games for the Huskies, she shattered her own freshman record with an impressive 21.9 points per game. She also led the team to final four, only to fall short to Iowa. But this year, UConn is once again in Final Four conversations, and Bueckers, National Player.
Stay tuned for more such updates. And join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.
Debate
Paige Bueckers' heartfelt message—Is she the most inspiring athlete in women's basketball today?