5 reasons why $1.4M NIL-valued Paige Bueckers had the best summer in 2024 ft. ESPYs

UConn's Paige Bueckers had one of the most remarkable summers of her life this year. Since April, she has been at almost every major sports event, including the ESPY award ceremony, WNBA draft, WNBA All-Star game and the US Open.

The Minnesota native is making waves in college basketball since playing for the Huskies and became the first freshman to earn the Naismith College Player of the Year accolade.

Last season, Bueckers averaged 21.9 points at UConn, guiding the team to the NCAA Final Four. After such a hectic season, she was in dire need of a well-deserved break.

ESPNW broke down her summers on an Instagram post on Tuesday.

"500 Days of (Paige’s) Summer 😮‍💨" the caption read.

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Five reasons Paige Bueckers had the best summer ever

#1 Supporting teammate Aliyah Edwards at 2024 WNBA draft

Although Paige Bueckers was a projected top-three pick in this year's WNBA draft, she didn't declare and instead returned to UConn for her final year.

However, she still attended the draft to cheer for her teammate Aliyah Edwards, who was selected sixth overall by the Washington Mystics. When Edwards was drafted, Bueckers quickly took out her phone to capture the photo of Edwards walking up to the stage.

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#2 ESPY award nomination

The UConn guard received a second nomination for the ESPY award after she won the best female college athlete in 2021. In this year's event, she was nominated for the best comeback athlete, which she lost to gymnast Simone Biles.

Paige Bueckers' lavender suit outfit electrified the ESPYs red carpet and stole the show. She wore a two piece purple suit designed by Colm Dillane.

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#3 Courtside appearance with Flau’jae Johnson at WNBA All Star

Paige Bueckers made a trip to Phoenix for the All-Star game in July, where she was seen sitting courtside with LSU's Flau’jae Johnson. The two highest NIL-valued female college hoopers, Bueckers ($1.4 million) and Johnson ($1.2 million) captivated the audience at the Footprint Center.

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#4 Throws first pitch at Twins game

During her busy summer tour, Paige Bueckers also visited her home state of Minnesota in August to attend the Twins game against the Kansas City Royals.

Before the game, Bueckers had the honor of throwing the inaugural pitch at Target Field, which drew a loud ovation from the crowd.

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#5 US Open

In the first week of September, Paige and her Husky teammate Azzi Fudd were in attendance for US Open matches. After attending a WNBA game on Sunday, the duo traveled to Queens, New York, to watch third round matches at the US Open, where they were seen supporting Coco Gauff.