"It was surreal": Paige Bueckers recalls "crazy" part of winning Gatorade National Player of the Year 

Paige Bueckers, the UConn star, hosted the 2023-2024 Gatorade National Players of the Year winners on August 6 episode of the "We Got It" series. She got nostalgic about her own experience winning the prestigious award in 2019-2020.

Speaking with the young athletes, including five-star recruit Joyce Edwards and Florida Gators QB DJ Lagway, Bueckers shared her experience of being named Gatorade National Player of the Year.

"It was surreal," Bueckers recalled. “It was really crazy just for me to have such a big goal of that to be checked off.” [01:00]

She said that her win came during the COVID-19 pandemic, a challenging period when life had slowed down. The recognition provided the UConn sensation a much-needed boost during a tough time, allowing her to celebrate and find joy amid the uncertainty.

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Paige Bueckers pink hairdo is a hit

The UConn star turned heads as she debuted a stunning pink hairdo recently, and it’s already a massive hit. The eye-catching color change isn’t just for fun—it's part of Bueckers' new partnership with Madison Reed, a haircare brand.

This latest move shows her status as a top-tier athlete with serious marketability, adding to her already impressive $1.4 million NIL deal portfolio. She announced the collaboration on Instagram, captioning her post:

“Blessed to partner with @madisonreed as a Brand Ambassador and share how ColorWonder lets me have fun with my hair color"

Bueckers also posted her vibrant new look on Instagram, which she dyed pinkish-red to launch Madison Reed's ColorWonder, a demi-permanent hair dye. Documenting the process, Paige shared:

"I’m huge on expressing myself in different ways. Being able to inspire the next generation of athletes and younger kids to be confident in expressing themselves in different ways, and not have to fit into a box — those are values I share with Madison Reed." (via WWD)

Paige Bueckers isn’t the only one getting in on the action. Her UConn teammates Azzi Fudd, Morgan Cheli and Isuneh Brady are also part of the 'Team ColorWonder' campaign.