Tell one thing Paige Bueckers isn’t doing this offseason. Back at UConn to check on her team? Ticked. Bueckers has also attended a Dallas Cowboys game against the Washington Commanders, a Dallas Mavericks preseason game, and an Oklahoma-Texas football game. And now, the Wings star has made another trip, and this is all the way to Europe. 

Paige Bueckers traveled all the way to the United Kingdom for the most unexpected crossover. Bueckers was in attendance for a soccer game of the English Premier League clash between Arsenal and Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium in London. But before the game, Bueckers appeared on the pre-match show on the Arsenal TV Channel, where she admitted where her loyalties lie in soccer. 

“I guess you are not an Arsenal supporter yet?” asked the host. To which Bueckers answered, “I am becoming one,” which was met with cheers from the experts. Bueckers also admitted that it was her first European soccer game attended in person! But is Bueckers new to the sport? Well, she is not completely oblivious to soccer, as she played it during her childhood before switching to basketball full-time in the first grade. 

“When I was younger, I was into all athletics, and I played with the boys all the time during recesses,” Bueckers has said. “I played all the sports like football, soccer, baseball, and basketball. Basketball was something I could work on downstairs in the garage where I lived, and I guess it grew from there.”

The way Bueckers plays, it would have been a disservice to the sport if she had chosen otherwise. Her basketball talent is immense, and the NCAA records are proof of it. But again, playing multiple sports surely gave her an advantage over her competitors early on. Bueckers delivered one of the most decorated rookie campaigns in league history, headlined by winning WNBA Rookie of the Year and starting in the All-Star Game while leading all rookies in points and assists.

Although that did not translate to team success, which led to their coach, Chris Koclanes, being given the boot. The Wings have now hired Jose Fernandez from USF in his place, and Bueckers will hope their fortunes change next season. For Paige Bueckers, success has never been the issue; she capped her UConn career with a national championship ring and knows exactly what it takes to win. Is.

UConn’s championship ring is pure Paige Bueckers energy

Paige Bueckers returned to UConn to celebrate the 2025 National Championship in style, wearing a ring she helped design with Caroline Ducharme and Azzi Fudd. Every detail of the ring reflects Bueckers’ influence, featuring 12 trapezoid shapes that represent each of UConn’s national titles and five triangles that honor their Big East Tournament victories. Carved into the side are the words “The Power of Friendship,” a motto Bueckers credits as the heartbeat of the Huskies’ success.

“That’s the reason we won it,” she shared at the team’s “A Night With Champions” event. Flip it over, and you’ll find one more touch: “vibes.” It’s simple, but it says it all. “Vibes was our vibe of the year,” Bueckers laughed. “We ran on straight vibes and stayed together through everything.” The phrase captures the spirit and joy that carried UConn all season long.

Inside the ring, the journey is little carved into the stone. They have engraved the scores of each important game: from the 82-59 Sweet 16 domination of Oklahoma to a similar 82-59 win over South Carolina in the title matchup. It’s a roadmap of resilience, a testament to the battles fought and won on the court.

“All in all, a beautiful decoration of all that we accomplished,” Bueckers said, beaming with pride. “I think you kind of just encapsulated everything that we had and everything we went through to get there.” You can see the Bueckers’ influence in that ring. In that trip, Bueckers even went on to participate in the team scrimmage with a twist.