Meet Paige Bueckers, the Dallas Wings’ star rookie: the former UConn Huskies point guard was the WNBA’s top draft pick this year – and the first college athlete to get her own Nike sneakers
Bueckers has had a stellar career through high school and university, despite facing several injuries – now she has deals with brands from Dunkin’ Donuts and Crocs to Taco Bell
The Dallas Wings aren’t off to a great start this season, losing their first four games of the year. However, there are still high hopes for star rookie Paige Bueckers, with former basketball star and fellow University of Connecticut alum Diana Taurasi saying on The Athletic Women’s Basketball Show, “One day, [Bueckers is] gonna end up being the best player in the league, for sure.”
“They mean everything to me, all they’ve helped me get through, all the ups and downs, the highs and lows, they’ve seen every side of me, and the love there is unconditional, so forever grateful for them,” the 23-year-old shared, per USA Today.
So, who is Paige Bueckers, who suffered two major knee injuries but came back stronger, and is a staunch Christian, per The New York Times?
What’s her background?
Per USA Basketball, Bueckers is originally from Edina, Minnesota, where she was born to parents Amy Dettbarn and Bob Bueckers. Her father is a software engineer, per CT Insider, and played basketball when he was younger. Her mother did cross country running and track and field at the University of St Thomas in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
The couple divorced when Bueckers was a child, and she stayed with her father, according to The New York Times. She’s her parents’ only child, but they went on to have children with other partners. Bueckers has two half-brothers, Ryan and Drew, and a half-sister, Lauren. Drew is half African-American on his mother’s side.
Her career highlights
