“Don’t let anything kill your dreams”: Paige Bueckers dishes words of wisdom for fans while signing autographs

Now taking on the reigns as the UConn Huskies' clear-cut leader, star senior Paige Bueckers is maturely handling her growing fanbase. In an Instagram post by one of her many fan pages, @paigebueckersupdates, the account uploaded a Tiktok video wherein Bueckers shares a piece of advice to a fan asking what it takes to play for UConn.

"Continue to work hard. Dream big. Don't let anything kill your dreams. You'll have good days, you'll have bad days. But, just stay with it. Stay focused," Bueckers told a fan getting pictures and autographs.

The fan is just one of the many NCAA D1 Women's Basketball enthusiasts that are becoming Paige Bueckers stans. With the 23-year-old growing from a marketing standpoint, the off-court opportunities are starting to come to fruition.

Last August, Bueckers became the first ever NCAA athlete to sign a name, image, and likeness (NIL) deal for a sports league as she will be owning an equity share with the up-and-coming Unrivaled Basketball League.

The women's 3-on-3 league, spearheaded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, will commence in January. Its goal of giving more female players opportunities to play and earn aligns with Bueckers', who will participate in the league's initiatives when her college career ends.

For now, Bueckers and the rest of the Huskies are coming off an 85-41 win against the FDU Knights and will look to do the same against Oregon State on Monday. They stand at 4-0 and look like contenders.

Paige Bueckers is aiming to bring glory back to UConn

UConn Huskies reacting to a call during last season's Final Four game. (Image Credits: Kirby Lee, Imagn)

While the Huskies hold the most NCAA D1 Women's Basketball Championships in history with an astounding number of 11, their last one came almost a decade ago in 2016. In the 2023-2024 season, they were bounced out of the tournament by the Iowa Hawkeyes, 71-69.

After last year's heartbreak, Bueckers is determined to help the team out in reclaiming NCAA Women's Basketball gold. This season, she is averaging 20 points, five rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game.

Whether or not she will be declaring for the WNBA draft next year or running it back with UConn for a fifth and final season, Paige Bueckers is undeniably on a tear.