UConn star Paige Bueckers is no stranger to making history.
The senior guard, who is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft in April, will become the first collegiate athlete to design and market her own shoe through an NIL deal with Nike. The player edition shoe will be released on Saturday, Dec. 7.
Bueckers will sport the shoe, titled the Nike G.T. Hustle 3, throughout her senior year at UConn.
“It’s definitely motivating to wear your own shoe,” Paige says. “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.”
The shoe includes many personal details for Bueckers, starting with it having her two favorite colors, baby blue and lavender, as the main colors. The area codes for the University of Connecticut and her hometown of Edina, Minn., can be seen on the left tongue of the shoe. On the right tongue, an embroidered bucket can be seen, which is a play on her nickname "Buckets," a word that is seen on the right heel. But, the most personal part of the shoe may be the quote on her left heel: “Be You, Be Great," which is what her dad says to her before every game.
Paige Bueckers’ First Nike PE Shoe Drops This Week
— Complex Sneakers (@ComplexSneakers) December 2, 2024
Bueckers becomes the first NIL athlete to get her own Nike PE release. pic.twitter.com/8kFvQCfMIK
“There are so many details that make this shoe special to me,” Paige says. “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.”
Bueckers continues to crush the NIL space as she's earned an On3 NIL valuation of $1.4 million. One of her most recent NIL deals is with the Unrivaled basketball league for professional women's players. She will receive ownership equity through the league, and she is expected to join it for its second season in 2025 after she's drafted to the WNBA.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as UConn's Paige Bueckers Shows Off Her Historic New Shoe With Nike.
