$1 million NIL-valued Paige Bueckers shares thought process behind motivation to be the best: "It's a grind"

Paige Bueckers is making moves this offseason. The UConn Huskies star recently signed an exclusive NIL deal with a professional league and attended WNBA games to support her friends and former teammates.

During an interview on Uninterrupted, the $1 million NIL-valued athlete shared her thoughts on being elite at her sport.

"For me, it's like perfection is unattainable so there's always something you can get better at and I think you guys share the same mentality of always striving to be better. If you're the best there's always somebody chasing you and if you're trying to get to the top it's a grind," Bueckers said.

Paige Bueckers continues NIL ascendancy

With the departures of Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark to the WNBA, Paige Bueckers has become the No.2 On3's NIL-rated female college basketball player.

The UConn star's value has become apparent after she inked two exclusive deals in the past few weeks. The first deal was an ownership stake in the women's 3X3 basketball league Unrivaled, launched by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart. This transaction makes Bueckers the first student-athlete to own a stake in any professional league.

The Unrivaled League was formed last year and has seen significant investment from personalities like former NBA star Carmelo Anthony and Buecker's UConn Huskies coach Geno Auriemma.

It will tip off in January 2025 and will keep WNBA players in the country during the offseason rather than having talent migrate to foreign leagues to earn more money. Bueckers will be eligible to play for the league in 2026 following the 2025 WNBA Draft.

She expressed her enthusiasm for the 3X3 League in a post on X.

“Blessed and grateful to be a part of this amazing league. To take an active role in the growth of women’s sports is a dream come true. Excited for the future; it’s just the beginning,” Bueckers wrote.

The second deal signed by the Huskies star was an NIL contract with Nike, making her the first student-athlete to have an exclusive player edition contract, resulting in Nike G.T Hustle 3's.

Her exclusive NIL signings show that Paige Bueckers is the face of women's college basketball. With the offseason in full swing, she could see another meteoric rise in her NIL ranking.