You’ll often hear Paige Bueckers’s name mentioned in the same sentence as the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark’s, and it’s no wonder why: The former UConn star and current Dallas Wings guard was one of the most celebrated college basketball players during her time as a Husky, and is (unsurprisingly) killing it in the WNBA as well.
Shortly after leading UConn to a national championship in April in a triumphant cap to a turbulent college career, Bueckers joined the Wings as the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA draft. Her performance has been formidable thus far: Currently, she leads all other first-year players in scoring and assists, and she is widely expected to be named Rookie of the Year in the fall.
And this weekend, Bueckers will be notching another milestone: playing in her first WNBA All-Star game (against Clark, no less). On June 30, Bueckers was named as one of 10 starters, making her the lone first-year player represented. In fact, she’s one of only nine rookies to earn the honor since 1999. When the All-Star teams face off at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on July 19, Bueckers will have yet another chance to show her stuff among the best of the best. But before her debut in what promises to be an epic matchup, check out these 10 facts you probably didn’t know about the Minnesota native.
1. She started playing basketball at age five.
Born in Edina, Minnesota, and raised in the nearby town of Hopkins, Bueckers picked up basketball as a kid and seemingly fell in love right away. In March 2020, Bleacher Report reported that her dad Bob had initially tried to sign her up for other sports, like track, but by the time his daughter reached first grade, it was obvious that she had her sights set on hoops.
Her talent was recognized early on. By fourth grade, people were raising the possibility of Bueckers playing for UConn, and by seventh grade, she was playing with high schoolers, according to Bleacher Report. By age 14, she was receiving scholarship offers from the likes of Minnesota and Iowa State, per Olympics.com. During high school, she racked up honors, including titles like Gatorade Female High School Athlete of the Year, Gatorade National Player of the Year, Naismith Prep Player of the Year, Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year, and Minnesota Miss Basketball. In 2019, she led the team to the state title, and she graduated as Hopkins’ all-time leader in points (2,877), assists (795), and steals (574).
Bueckers was ranked the No. 1 prospect in the 2020 class by ESPN and drew interest from pretty much every D1 basketball program in the US. While she considered offers from Duke, Texas, UCLA, Notre Dame, and other top universities, she brought speculation to an end in the spring of 2019 when she committed to UConn. “Women’s basketball is what UConn is known for, and it’s not like that at other schools. To see that support for women’s sports is awesome,” she said, according to ESPN.
2. She nabbed some impressive awards as only a freshman.
When she arrived in Storrs, Connecticut, for her first year at UConn, Bueckers proved herself right out of the gate. In 2021, she became the first freshman to win the Naismith Player of the Year award, a prize largely considered the top honor for NCAA basketball. It was a repeat of sorts for Bueckers, since she earned the high school equivalent the previous year.
