UCONN women’s basketball star Paige Bueckers has made history by becoming the first athlete in the Name, Image, and Likeness era of collegiate sports to design and release a player-exclusive Nike shoe.
Nike wrote in a statement about the shoe, dubbed the Nike G.T. Hustle 3 Players Edition, that it is meant to “propel her performance during the final season of her illustrious collegiate career, leveraging Nike’s best basketball innovations in a silhouette that maximizes energy return from tip-off to buzzer.”
Bueckers explained in that statement that it is “definitely motivating to wear your own shoe,” noting that Nike has always been her preferred shoe brand since she started playing basketball at a young age.
“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,” she added, according to Nike.
Bueckers explained that the design features pieces of her childhood and current life to make the shoe special, including an inspirational quote from Bueckers dad on the heel that says “Be You, Be Great.”
“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,” she said, per Nike.
Multiple students from UCONN have spoken out about the accomplishment and praised Bueckers for her hard work and commitment to the game, with many pointing out her impact on and off the court.
“She’s a very hardworking player, kind of the face of college women’s basketball. So, I think she deserves it more than anybody,” said UCONN sophomore Zamiyah Burton, according to NBC Connecticut.
“They’re putting in the hard work, day in and day out, and they deserve to be able to make a little money off of the things that they bring to the school, the community, and all that stuff,” added senior Trevon Francis, per NBC.
Bueckers is widely expected to be selected by the Dallas Wings with the first overall selection in the 2025 WNBA Draft, teaming her up with Arike Ogunbowale in hopes of forming one of the most dangerous guard tandems in the league.
Although the Wings struggled to win games during the most recent season, Ogunbowale led the team with 22.2 points per game, 5.1 assists per game, and 2.1 steals per game while being named the 2024 All-Star Game MVP.
Bueckers is now expected to be added to this team following a season in which she is currently averaging 20.4 points and 4.6 assists while shooting 60.9% from the field and 46.9% from behind the three-point line.
While many are excited about Bueckers potentially being added to the Wings’ lineup, there is still a long wait before the 2025 WNBA Draft in April.
The Nike G.T. Hustle 3 Bueckers Player Edition became available for purchase beginning December 7.