Paige Bueckers just getting started after being named the Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (BVM) — During an interview with Bleacher Report in early March, the No. 1-ranked Class of 2020 women’s basketball recruit and University of Connecticut commit, Paige Bueckers, had this to say about her skills.
“My motivation is just knowing that I’m not at my full potential yet,” Bueckers said.
It’s hard to imagine what Buecker’s full potential may look like after a high school career full of prestigious accolades. The three-time Gatorade Minnesota Girls Basketball Player of the Year has been named a McDonald’s All American, Morgan Wootten Player of the Year and is also a member of the Jordan Brand Classic. She was most recently named the Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year.
After making the varsity team at Hopkins High School as an eighth grader in 2015, Bueckers helped the Royals make it to the MSHSL AAAA state championship game. They lost to Minnetonka, but it would not be the last time Hopkins would be in the championship.
The Royals made it to the final game the next two years, but it wasn’t until 2019 that they got the championship they had been fighting for. Bueckers, already the reigning Gatorade Minnesota Girls Basketball Player of the Year, led Hopkins to an undefeated season and a state championship.
Even though it was her first state championship, by this time Bueckers already had three gold medals playing for Team USA in the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, the 2018 FIBA U17 World Cup and 2017 FIBA Americas U16 Championship.
That summer she would add another gold medal to her trophy case as a member of the USA U19 team that won the 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup. She was also named MVP of the World Cup and the 2019 USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year.
In April of that same year, Bueckers committed to the University of Connecticut. She had been receiving college offers since eighth grade, but it was the Huskies that finally got the generational talent from Minnesota.
The 5-foot-11 point guard can create her own shot and score anywhere on the court with ease. However, she is the quintessential point guard who would rather set up her teammates to score. She does so even though her coaches and teammates would be just as happy to have her take the shot.
Her confidence in herself and her teammates shows in film. To those who might doubt her, she simply beckons them to watch as she tells defenders what she is about to do, knowing they are powerless to stop her.
This skill hasn’t just been noticed by college coaches. She has over half a million followers on Instagram and almost 30,000 on Twitter. She has also been on the cover of Slam Magazine and will be on the cover of the September issue of Sports Illustrated.
She has become an inspiration to many. It was not uncommon to see her sign autographs after games this year as a senior as she led the Royals to their second undefeated season in a row.
Unfortunately, Hopkins didn’t even get the chance to win back-to-back state championships as the championship game was canceled due to COVID-19 — a minor setback in an otherwise illustrious career.
Now as she begins the next chapter at UConn, one can only wait to see what this highly-accomplished athlete will do next.
