“It just happened to be that way”: UConn star Paige Bueckers addresses Golden State Valkyries buzz on social media

In May, Huskies guard Paige Bueckers shared her promotional picture for Gatorade, showcasing purple-colored sweat streaks on her face. The team associated with this color in the WNBA right now is the Golden State Valkyries, the newest team set to join next season. Fans immediately assumed that this was a hint at her favored WNBA team.

However, in an interview with SFGATE, Bueckers cleared the air and said:

“Lavender purple was always my favorite color. Obviously, the Valkyries latched on to that color, too. It just happened to be that way. It’s funny to see everybody trying to manifest me going there. It’s all love, though. It’s really funny. I laugh at a lot of it. It’s really cool.”

Bueckers is preparing for her final college season and has already drawn interest in her future plans after UConn. The guard is a projected No. 1 pick by several mock drafts for the 2025 WNBA draft.

In any case, even if Bueckers ends up being the No. 1 pick, it is unlikely that the Valkyries will be able to secure the top spot. The teams for the first four spots are picked via a draft lottery and are reserved for teams that stand last in the regular season ranking.

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Paige Bueckers shares important pointers from her training sessions

Paige Bueckers' time at Storrs has been a journey of many euphoric highs and depressive lows. After a terrific freshman season, the Guard missed most of her second and entire third season due to an ACL injury.

She made a healthy return last season and averaged 21.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists, leading the Huskies to the Final Four. Now, as she prepares for the upcoming season, Bueckers is also training for the transition ahead.

“It has been a learning process,” Bueckers said (via Hartford Chronicle). “I never really had this sort of frame and this muscle strength to use my body in this way. I was always like agile and sort of wavy. Now I feel I can play with more force, use my strength on both sides of the ball, play more physically.

“At every level, high school to college, college to the pros, the level of physicality rises, so it’s just trying to continue to prepare my body, continue to stay healthy, continue to do everything in my power to be ready physical-wise, muscle-wise. It’s walking the fine line. You don’t want to lose your speed, lose your quickness or lose your agility, but you want to add strength and muscle.”

While Paige Bueckers is already considered one of the best UConn players in history, she still has a championship win missing before she can fully lay claim to the title.