How does it feel to rule the world even before it kicks off for most? Ask Paige Bueckers. The word ‘first’ is basically Bueckers’ middle name at this point. She was the first female high school player to grace the cover of Slam magazine. Then she made history again as the first-ever freshman to win AP Player of the Year. Fast forward to the W, and she’s now the first player in WNBA history to rack up 60 points and 30 assists in her first five games. And yes, she was the one who made Gatorade place its first big bet on a college athlete.

Bueckers was also the first college athlete in any sport to partner with the energy drink giant. That Gatorade deal was actually her second big NIL move after her StockX partnership. This all happened not long after she won the 2020 Gatorade High School Player of the Year Award, and back then, she called the whole thing “truly surreal.”

Well, it just got even more surreal. After her Dallas Wings clinched an 80–71 win over the Golden State Valkyries, Paige showed up to her post-game press conference with something super special in hand. A custom Gatorade bottle 0 featuring her own face on it. Gatorade (a $179 billion brand under PepsiCo) dropped a surprise flavor made just for her: the Shirley Temple Thirst Quencher.

Myisha Hines-Allen didn’t forget to remind her rookie to enjoy her moment. She asked about it, and Bueckers – shy but excited – grinned and showed it to her. Then she turned it around for all of us reporters to see. As the videos started making rounds on the internet, Gatorade had the sweetest reply, “How could we not.” True that.

Paige has always been more than just a star athlete; she’s been an absolute asset to the brand. She’s often talked about how Gatorade was a constant in her college journey, and she didn’t just stop at repping the bottle. She helped the brand get deep, especially when it came to understanding what today’s young athletes deal with.

Earlier this year, for March Madness, Gatorade tapped her alongside USC’s JuJu Watkins and high school phenom Cooper Flagg for a campaign called “The Take.” In the ad, the trio talks about “it”. ‘It’ is the pressure, the criticism, the obsession, and the mental toll that often gets swept under the rug. These athletes helped brands put a spotlight on those struggles.

Then, a month later, came her big WNBA moment – going No. 1 overall in the 2025 Draft – and Gatorade dropped another tribute. The ad opened with a close-up of her UConn jersey tucked in a moving truck. The doors close with a “Howdy From Dallas” sticker slapped on, and the final line said, “There’s a new star in town.”

Well, that star just had a pretty great night. A win on the court, and a bottle of greatness in her hand. That too, in the presence of one of the most special guests. 

Huskies reunite as Paige Bueckers leads Wings to long-awaited win

Dallas Wings finally got one. After a rough stretch filled with roster shakeups and injury updates, Tuesday night brought some long-overdue joy to College Park Center. The Wings locked in their second win of the season and their first at home over the Golden State Valkyries.

And guess who showed out? The rookie sensation dropped 20 points, while Arike Ogunbowale added 19 points, six assists, and three steals. The Wings snapped their losing streak in style, crashing the boards (40–27 edge) and forcing 16 Valkyries turnovers. It was easily some of the best basketball Dallas has played all this while.

But you know what made the win even more special? Geno Auriemma was in the building. No way was Paige Bueckers letting the team lose on a night like that. Geno made the trip to Texas to see two of his former Huskies – Bueckers and rookie guard Kaitlyn Chen – face off in what was supposed to be a mini UConn showcase.

But the Valkyries, fresh off a three-game win streak, didn’t suit up Chen, who recently re-joined the Valks. So Geno didn’t get to see both players hoop, but he still got what he came for: a proud Husky moment.

After the game, fans got a sweet postgame treat – a mini UConn reunion at center court. Bueckers and Chen shared a warm moment, then Bueckers and Auriemma hugged it out with a few laughs and posed for photos. This shows that no matter where they go or what jerseys they wear, once a Husky, always a Husky. The bond between these players and their coach runs deeper than the stat sheet.

Tuesday night, that connection was loud, proud, and full of heart.