UConn women’s basketball sophomore Paige Bueckers has another name, image and likeness deal in the books.
The guard became the first college athlete to sign a multiyear NIL deal with Gatorade on Monday. A release said that Bueckers will work with the company to “help lead the growth of women’s basketball.”
“It was a blessing to win Gatorade Player of the Year in high school, and now it’s truly surreal to be an official member of the Gatorade family,” Bueckers said in a release. “I know this is just the beginning of our partnership and can’t wait to get to work with Gatorade to drive impact in the community and on the women’s game.”
The deal comes three weeks after Bueckers’ first big-time NIL partnership with sneaker marketplace StockX was announced. Other notable female athletes aligned with Gatorade include Elena Delle Donne, Serena Williams, Abby Wambach and Sydney McLaughlin. The likes of Zion Williamson, Trevor Lawrence and Jayson Tatum are also part of Gatorade’s athlete roster.
A report by Bloomberg specified that, as part of the deal, Bueckers will “promote the brand in television commercials, social posts, product collaborations and events.”
“As a former Gatorade player of the year and one of the top college athletes playing today, Paige Bueckers is the perfect addition to the Gatorade family,” Gatorade’s global head of sports marketing Jeff Kearney said in statement. “From her electrifying performances on the court to fueling change off of it, Paige exemplifies everything it means to be a Gatorade athlete, and partnering with her is a statement to the next generation of our continued commitment to women in sport.”
Prior to arriving in Storrs, the Hopkins, Minnesota, standout was honored by the company as the 2020 Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year her senior year of high school. During her freshman season at UConn, Bueckers made history as the first freshman to win AP national player of the year, the Naismith Trophy, the Wooden Award and the USBWA’s Ann Meyers Drysdale Award.
