Former UConn women’s basketball player Paige Bueckers has had quite the last few weeks.
First, the All-American guard won a national championship with the Huskies in her final collegiate game, then went No. 1 in the WNBA draft to the Dallas Wings.
Her accomplishments were enough to get her hometown named after her, literally.
Hopkins, Minnesota, where Bueckers grew up and played high school basketball, announced it’s naming the town after her on May 16, the date of her first WNBA game. The date will also be ‘Paige Bueckers Day’ in Hopkins.
‘The City of Hopkins would like to honor her accomplishments and wish her the best of luck at the professional level by proclaiming May 16th as Paige Bueckers Day and renaming the city to Paige Bueckers, Minnesota for the day,’ the announcement stated. ‘We invite the community to celebrate the kickoff of the WNBA season with Think Hopkins and our local businesses on WNBA watch day, where businesses will have themed specials, air the game and celebrate the season opener – because everybody watches women’s sports.’
Bueckers averaged 19.9 points with 4.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game this season, leading UConn to a 37-3 record and 82-59 win over reigning champion South Carolina in the national title game. She’s viewed as an organization-altering player for the Wings, which finished with a 9-31 record last season.
Bueckers missed the end of her sophomore season and most of her junior season after suffering a knee injury but fought back to be an All-American again in 2024 and 2025 after winning national player of the year as a freshman.
The former No. 1-ranked high school recruit has met every expectation since being a high-end prospect out of Hopkins, and now her hometown is honoring her for her accomplishments.
