Bueckers’ NIL Hesitancy

From her on-court dominance to sky-high follower count, Paige Bueckers is one of the most marketable players in college basketball — if not all of NCAA sports. 

But while other athletes of a similar caliber have been cashing in, the superstar has been unusually quiet on the NIL front. Even less talented, decorated, and well-known players have gotten in on the action. Some of her teammates have signed with national brands like Chipotle, too.

“There’s a lot that goes into it,” Bueckers said at Big East Media Day on Tuesday. “Lot of photo shoots, lot of interviews, lot of stuff that you have to do behind the scenes. I’m not certainly prepared for all of that. So I’ve been taking it slow. I’m trying not to rush into it too much.”

Between the moves she made over the summer and her recent comments, however, it’s clear she has something planned.

• Bueckers signed with Wasserman, which is currently also representing Sarah Fuller.
• She filed a trademark application for the phrase “Paige Buckets,” though she hasn’t said publicly how she’ll use it, whether it’s for merchandise or otherwise.
• Bueckers hinted that she has been working on…well…something that will be ready by tip-off: “I’m just trying to get everything done before the season,” she said.

It’s possible that NIL interest can spike during the regular season for certain sports. But Bueckers has no plans to capitalize on that. 

“Once the basketball season starts, that’s my main and only focus,” she said. “My agent knows that, and everybody that works with me knows that.”