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Paige Bueckers to receive Nike player edition shoe, make NIL history

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•12/02/24•

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Paige Bueckers players edition shoe with Nike
Photo courtesy of Nike

In September 2023, UConn star Paige Bueckers inked an NIL deal with Nike. Now, she’s preparing to make history.

Bueckers will debut a players edition shoe this week, Nike announced Monday. Her Nike G.T. Hustle 3 will drop Dec. 7, featuring her favorite colors – baby blue and lavender purple – as a way to celebrate her final season of college basketball at UConn.

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In the process, Bueckers will become the first college athlete to launch a players edition shoe. It’s the latest milestone for the UConn sensation, who’s a trailblazer in the NIL space.

“There are so many details that make this shoe special to me,” Bueckers said in a statement. “This is the perfect colorway for me: I love baby blue and lavender, and the Radial Knit makes me feel fly. My favorite detail is the message from my dad, and the tribute to both of my homes is so meaningful for my first Player Edition model.”

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Additionally, there are multiple messages on the shoe. The area codes for UConn and Bueckers’ hometown in Minnesota are on the left tongue, and the right heal has her last name and her nickname, “Buckets,” as well. There’s also a saying from her dad – “Be You, Be Great.”

“It’s definitely motivating to wear your own shoe,” Bueckers said. “I grew up wearing Nikes — all the signature shoes — so it’s surreal to have this Player Edition model. I just want to show out in it.”

Paige Bueckers continues to shine in NIL space

One of the biggest names in women’s basketball, Paige Bueckers continues to bring in notable NIL deals as her senior season goes along.

Earlier this year, she landed an exclusive partnership with Panini America and secured ownership equity in Unrivaled, a new women’s basketball league fronted by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier. Bueckers is also expected to play in Unrivaled once she ends her college career.

The projected No. 1 pick in the upcoming WNBA draft, Bueckers has an On3 NIL Valuation of $1.4 million. That puts her No. 2 in the college women’s basketball NIL rankings behind LSU star Flau’jae Johnson. Bueckers also sits at No. 31 in the On3 NIL 100, the first of its kind and defacto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by their On3 NIL Valuation.