Paige Bueckers, the UConn WBB star, is no stranger to receiving accolades and awards. Her freshman year she won every possible award including AP Player of the Year, the Wooden Award, the Naismith Trophy, USBWA Player of the Year, Nancy Lieberman Award, and many others.
But Paige has also been known to give. Having secured numerous NIL deals, she has used those to share the wealth. Most recently, Paige and the UConn team attended a New York Knicks-Orlando Magic game at Madison Square Garden. Paige’s partnership NIL deal with Verizon allowed her to gift new iPhones to all her teammates, who were sharing a suite box.
UConn center Jana El Alfy said:
“She just walked in and with al those iPhones. We were all shocked.
Guard Kaitlyn Chen added:
“I was not expecting the Christmas present at all.”
Bueckers posted a video on Instagram that night. The players all screamed with delight as Paige handed out the phones.
Bueckers Gifted Her UConn Teammates Back in 2022
But this wasn’t the first time Paige had given gifts. In February of 2022, Paige presented her entire team with brand-new sneakers, courtesy of her NIL deal with StockX. In December 2024, Paige gave her teammates her new Nike PE sneakers and a swag Bucket, including a t-shirt, hoodie, and Bose headphones. She also sent a swag bucket to her former teammate Nika Mühl, one of her closest friends.
UCONN’s Paige Bueckers becomes the very first NIL athlete to release a Nike PE shoe 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/4GEnoFNHcr
— Nice Kicks (@nicekicks) December 2, 2024
Gift-giving is only one aspect of Paige’s generosity. On the court, she not only is a prolific scorer but is equally adept at passing and makes sure her teammates get their share. Coach Geno Auriemma has ridden Paige about being more selfish on the court and taking more shots. But Paige is a giver, and although she has upped her game in that area, she is still as generous as ever, something that is unlikely to fade anytime soon.
Of course, the one thing that Paige would like to give to the UConn Huskies is a national title. While that will require an enormous team effort, Paige is certainly going to do her part and give it all she’s got. And then some.
And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
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