Paige Bueckers was more than happy to see the Miami Heat beat the Chicago Bulls by 112-91 in an intense showdown of the Play-In Tournament. Bueckers had a courtside view of the action at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.
Taking to Instagram, Bueckers shared her excitement, boasting about her exclusive seats at Kaseya Center. She captioned her story:
“Got the best views in the house at @sofi @nba Play In Tournament sitting with SoFi, The Official Bank of the NBA.”
Heat’s shooting guard Tyler Herro scored 24 points and narrowly missed out on a triple-double, while young talent Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 21 points, helping Miami earn a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs' opening round.
Bueckers' presence at the game comes after UConn's exit to Caitlin Clark’s Iowa from the NCAA Women's Division Championship in the Final Four.
Paige Bueckers bursts NIL-narrative
UConn basketball sensation has stepped up into the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL)-debate ring, trying to clarify the clamor surrounding NIL deals and WNBA salaries.
In a conversation with fellow basketball stars Sue Bird, Aliyah Boston and Nneka Ogwumike, the Bueckers burst the narrative around NIL earnings.
“You're making NIL in college. Once you get to the WNBA those endorsements are gonna follow you on top of the salary that you're also now making which you didn't have in college," she said.
She emphasized the misconception that staying in college solely for NIL deals equates to higher earnings than in the WNBA.
"It's really not that hard to educate yourself, but it's like people who create these narratives in their head and it's so hard to undo it because people then just follow those narratives," she added.
The Huskies star herself faced speculations about her motives for remaining in college, equating to earning more through NIL. However, Bueckers clarified that financial considerations did not solely drive her decision.
Miami Heat Nation! You can check out the latest Miami Heat Schedule and dive into the Heat Depth Chart for NBA Season 2024-25.