Chet Holmgren congratulated UConn Huskies star guard Paige Bueckers for making history with Nike. Bueckers will be the first NIL athlete in history to have her own shoes that will be released for sale. The GT Hustle 3 “Paige Bueckers” is set to be released on Sept. 12, 2024.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Holmgren delivered a short message to Bueckers for the amazing honor from Nike. Other college athletes have received their own shoes but were never released to the public.

“That bigtime P congrats,” Holmgren tweeted.

According to Sole Retriever, details of the GT Hustle 3 “Paige Bueckers” have been limited but it has been confirmed that it will be multi-colored. It will also feature the area codes 860 and 612, representing the University of Connecticut and her hometown of Edina, Minnesota, respectively.

The shoes will also have the 22-year-old guard’s “personal mantra and her nickname.” The reported retail price for the shoes is $190 and should be available to the public in less than two months.

Paige Bueckers has an NIL deal with Nike, which could extend when she goes to the WNBA, as per ESPN’s Michael Voepel. It was a multi-year contract signed last year, so it will likely go beyond his college career. She’s entering her final year of eligibility at UConn and is expected to be a top draft pick in next year’s draft.

“I am blessed and honored to announce my partnership with Nike. 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,” Bueckers said in a statement last year.

 

Why did Paige Bueckers decide to stay at UConn for her final year?

A lot of people were surprised when Paige Bueckers decided to stay at UConn and play in her final year of eligibility. Bueckers could have been picked as high as No. 2 in this year’s draft behind Iowa’s Caitlin Clark if she declared.

However, that’s not the case as Bueckers will try to bring UConn back to glory. But why did she decide to stay despite being eligible to become a pro? Here was her simple explanation via Highsnobiety.

“Since I’ve been in college, I really haven’t had a full healthy offseason to work on my craft and get stronger. That’s what this entire summer is focused on – getting mentally and physically prepared for next season.”

 

Bueckers missed the entire 2022-23 season due to a torn ACL in her left knee. It was a devastating injury but she came back stronger last season, putting up 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game. She led the Huskies back to the Final Four, losing to Iowa in the semifinal game.