NCAA champion with a story of falling and redemption. A fabulous 23-year-old, 6-foot-1 player who is aiming for the No. 1 spot in the draft. Endorsement deals with top brands such as Nike and Gatorade. After Caitlin Clark, the WNBA rolls out the red carpet for Paige Bueckers.
The WNBA is enjoying glory days. The Caitlin Clark phenomenon changed everything last year and for the future there are already other extraordinarily promising players such as JuJu Watkins (now seriously injured in the knee).
Caitlin Clark goes full MVP mode in hilarious grape battle with Letterman
Paige Bueckers aims for No. 1 in the WNBA Draft with the Dallas Wings
But in just three days, another potential WNBA star will make her debut: Paige Bueckers.
The WNBA Draft, which will be held on Monday, April 14 in New York, will in all likelihood see Bueckers crowned number one on her way to the Dallas Wings.
Huérfanos de Luka Doncic en los Mavericks, los fans del baloncesto de Dallas, aunque todavía con el corazón roto, tendrán al menos la opción de ilusionarse con esta base que viene de proclamarse campeona de la NCAA con UConn.
Paige Bueckers was crowned in the NCAA by winning the Final Four with UConn
The 23-year-old, 6-foot-1 guard finished her college career on a high note with a title she had already come close to winning in 2022, when UConn lost in the final against South Carolina.
Revenge was especially sweet for the Huskies under NCAA legend Geno Auriemma, as this year they defeated South Carolina for the title with 17 points, six rebounds and three assists from Bueckers.
The player from Edina, Minnesota, shone in ‘March Madness’ with an average of 24.8 points per game, including recitals such as the 40-point performance against Oklahoma or the 34-point performance against South Dakota State.
Paige Bueckers’ redemption story: She recovered from a serious knee injury
In addition, this title sealed a perfect redemption story for Bueckers, who had just recovered from a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury that kept her out of action in the 2022-23 season.
“It has been a dream to play here, a dream to wear this jersey and a dream to play in this environment,” Buckers said in her final home game for UConn before embarking on her imminent WNBA adventure.
Brands come knocking for Paige Bueckers
For those who do not live close to or follow college competition in the United States, it is difficult to understand that NCAA figures are already sports stars in the country without having to wait for their arrival in the professional leagues.
Something like this is already happening with Bueckers, who this week has been appearing on American television celebrating her title with UConn. For example, the player was a surprise guest on ‘The Tonight Show’ with Jimmy Fallon.
Brands are not wasting this pull and are exploiting it through so-called NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) contracts, which since 2021 have revolutionized sports in the U.S. by allowing companies to do business with youth athletes through sponsorships.
In the case of Bueckers, who has 2.3 million followers on Instagram, top brands (Nike, Gatorade, Bose, Verizon…) are flocking to her door without her even having set foot on a WNBA court yet.
Paige Bueckers joined Unrivaled, the new women’s 3×3 basketball competition
Not only has the best basketball league on the planet set its sights on the point guard, but she also already has a deal with Unrivaled, the new women’s 3×3 basketball competition that started this year during the months when there is no WNBA.
With Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty) and Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx) as founders, Unrivaled debuted in January with a host of WNBA stars and already has an NIL contract with Bueckers, which is understood to be a step prior to her also competing in this league.
This news was originally published on this post .
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