23YO Paige Bueckers enters special list with legendary company ft. Caitlin Clark, LeBron James and more

SportsPro’s list of most marketable athletes around the globe is out, and Paige Bueckers is one of the fresh additions. The UConn senior grabbed the 17th spot, joining the likes of LeBron James and Caitlin Clark. Other athletes above Bueckers are Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Lewis Hamilton, Cristiano Ronaldo and Coco Gauff, with Simone Biles topping the list.

Bueckers is only the third basketball player in the top-50 list and is also the only NCAA hooper.

It's a testament to Bueckers’ impact on the sporting world, as she was snubbed from Sports Illustrated’s annual index of the 50 most influential figures in the world. Both LeBron James and Caitlin Clark are mentioned on SI's list. NCAA hoopers like Flau'jae Johnson and JuJu Watkins also made the cut.

SportsPro evaluates athletes’ rankings based on its Marketability Score, which is derived from three factors: addressable marker, brand strength and economics.

The market comprises audience engagement, growth in attention, social sentiment, sponsors and awareness. Authenticity, reputation, in-game performance, momentum, values, presentation and risk make up for brand strength. Economics is the estimated worth, community work and influence.

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Paige Bueckers named to preseason All-American roster

Days before beginning her final college season with UConn Huskies, Paige Bueckers was recognized as AP's Preseason All-America Team member for the 2024-25 year. The guard was expected to enter the 2024 WNBA draft this summer as the top pick but postponed her big league entry to make a run for the NCAA trophy.

The preseason honor adds more hype to Paige Bueckers’ potential championship run. She's coming off her best collegiate stretch in the 2023-24 season, averaging 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.4 blocks on 53.0% shooting.

Other players on the AP preseason All-American roster are freshman of the year JuJu Watkins (USC), ACC Rookie of the Year Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame), Big 12 Freshman of the Year Maddie Booker (Texas Longhorns) and the power forward with Katrina McClain award Kiki Iriafen (USC).

Bueckers is expected to churn out her best season this year, as Geno Auriemma wants the star guard to be more aggressive towards scoring rather than worrying about passing the ball.