In Photos: UConn star Paige Bueckers throws out ceremonial first pitch ahead of Twins game

Minnesota-born basketball star Paige Bueckers threw out the ceremonial first pitch ahead of the Twins' game against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday. She sported a casual red and white home Twins jersey with a red crop top and cargo pants.

She also wore vintage Nike Jordans and casually trotted to the mound. Her pitch reached home plate quite easily.

Paige Bueckers has been billed as a big thing since high school. She was named the National High School Player of the Year during her time at Hopkins High School.

She chose to represent the UConn Huskies in college, where she led the team to a Final Four NCAA Tournament appearance in just her freshman year. After two seasons marred with injuries, she repeated the same feat in 2024.

Paige Bueckers belongs to the top group of players who are touted to lead the way when they switch over to the WNBA. This includes LSU's Flau'jae Johnson, who also has a strong social media presence like Bueckers thanks to her rap career.

Bueckers will be playing for the Huskies in the 2024–25 season and is expected to join the 2025 WNBA Draft. If she does enlist, she is expected to be the No. 1 pick. She has also signed a deal with the Unrivaled 3x3 basketball league and is expected to feature in it.

The main challenge for Paige Bueckers will be to stay healthy, as she has undergone two major injuries, one in her left knee in her sophomore year and an ACL tear in her junior year that kept her sidelined for an entire year. She has since bounced back from those injuries and is gunning to go after the offseason.

Twins win game after Paige Bueckers first pitch

The Twins eventually won the game quite convincingly, 13-3, over the Royals. Max Kepler had a four-RBI night with a home run, while Kyle Farmer and Christian Vazquez also went yard.

On the mound, Zebby Matthews pitched 5.0 innings of two-run ball while striking out five batters. Josh Winder pitched both the eighth and the ninth, giving away just one hit and striking out three batters.

With every win, the Twins are closing the gap over the Cleveland Guardians, who are in first place in the AL Central. They are 3.5 games behind them and 2.5 games ahead of the Royals in third.