Who is Paige Beuckers, the UConn basketball star that signed a NIL deal with Nike?
Following a major injury layoff, one of women’s college basketball’s biggest stars is about to be back on the court, and she’s got some new kicks as well.
From the best player in the country to missing an entire season due to injury, it’s been a tough time of late for the Huskies guard but that’s about to change, and after a landmark deal with the sporting goods giant, it looks like she’s about to equipped to show her best once again.
UConn’s Paige Beuckers signs deal with Nike
According to a statement from Nike on Wednesday, UConn women’s basketball star Paige Bueckers has signed a NIL deal with Nike. It is understood that Beuckers will participate in a campaign that promotes Nike’s new G.T. Hustle 2 sneakers this coming season. In a follow-up statement which Beuckers herself released, the 21-year-old student athlete spoke of how much the agreement meant to her. “I am blessed and honored to announce my partnership with Nike,” Bueckers said. “Joining the Nike family is a childhood dream come true. I can’t wait to see what we accomplish together on and off the court.” It’s worth noting that Beucker’s contract with Nike is only the latest in a string of other high-profile brands with whom she has NIL agreements in place. They include but are not limited to Gatorade, Crocs, and Bose.
What are the Nike G.T. Hustle 2?
As part of Nike’s ‘Greater Than’ series, the G.T. Hustle 2 feature a full-length Cushlon foam underfoot for comfort when running, as well as molded insoles. As per Nike, the sneakers have been designed and created to help “channel your inner two-way dog and run laps around the other team.” To that end, it makes perfect sense that the Portland-based outfit has recruited one of the college game’s most recognizable athletes. Incidentally, San Antonio Spurs new star and No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Victor Wembanyama, will also be promoting the G.T. Hustle 2 this coming campaign.
Paige Beuckers has had it rough
Despite her young age, Paige Beuckers has seen quite a bit in her college basketball career. Unfortunately, not all of those experiences have been good. Following what was a sensational 2020-21 campaign, after which she became the first freshman to receive the Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy, AP Player of the Year, and USBWA Player of the Year all in the same year, Beackers was struck down by injury. Indeed, it proved to be severe enough that she had to undergo surgery to repair an anterior tibial plateau fracture, as well as a lateral meniscus tear on her left leg.
It didn’t get any better either. Following recovery, Beuckers tore her ACL last summer which resulted in her being absent for the entirety of the 2022-23 campaign. Her junior season was going to be a comeback year, but Bueckers tore her ACL in the summer and missed the entire 2022-23 campaign. Thankfully, that’s now all in the past, and as things stand, the present is set to be a whole lot better with Beuckers now fully recovered and donning some fine footwear.