Paige Bueckers still has five months left to complete her first year in the WNBA. Yet, she’s already achieved more than most could dream of. She’s the Rookie of the Year, an All-Star, an All-WNBA Second Team member, and a record-breaker in her debut season. Even in the offseason, she isn’t slowing down. After signing on as an actor and producer for the Netflix movie Jess & Pearl, she’s now onto her next big project. But this time, it’s something bigger, charitable, that even has Tom Brady showering her with praise!

It all comes up with Paige inking a multi-year autographed memorabilia partnership with global sports platform Fanatics. This made Fanatics the exclusive provider of her collectibles and signed merchandise. By joining Fanatics Authentic, the former Huskies star joins a roster of elite athletes, including JuJu Watkins, Sabrina Ionescu, Victor Wembanyama, Paul Skenes, Harry Kane, and Tom Brady. And how could she not get a warm welcome?

Leading the way, Brady went the extra mile, recording a personal 19-second message for Paige. “Hey Paige, Tom Brady here. From one Fanatics teammate to another, welcome to the family. I’ve seen how you compete with total heart and joy-you’re so clutch. Your game inspires a lot of people, and we’re proud to have you with us,” he said in a video posted on November 12.

Tom Brady’s message to Paige to being part of the fanatics exclusive team pic.twitter.com/GJgZGEtiBG

— Just for fun 💕 (@justforshowss) November 12, 2025

Well, that’s how a legend talks to another in the making. And every word he said is true. At just 24, PB is already one of the most decorated basketball players in history.  She’s been named Gatorade National Player of the Year and Athlete of the Year. She’s even the first freshman in history ever to sweep several of college basketball’s top honors, including the Wooden Award, Naismith Award, AP National Player of the Year, and USBWA National Player of the Year.

A three-time consensus All-American, PB led the Huskies to the 2025 NCAA Championship in her final season, ending a decade-long drought for UConn. Even after turning pro, the No. 1 overall pick by the Dallas Wings continued to rise. She became a locker room leader, topped all rookies in major stats, earned an All-Star nod, and posted the highest single-game points by a rookie this season. No surprise, she took home the 2025 Rookie of the Year award. So, as Brady said, she’s truly inspiring-and that’s exactly what this Fanatics deal represents.

As Fanatics executive vice president Victor Shaffer put it, “Paige represents the future of women’s basketball, and we’re thrilled to bring fans closer to her and her remarkable journey through this exclusive partnership. Fanatics is proud to celebrate the incredible moments from throughout her career and work closely together as she builds a legacy that extends far beyond the basketball court.”

But Paige’s move isn’t just about business.

As she said, in a Q&A with FORBES’ Jenn Nelson, “a new way for me to connect with the people who have supported me since I was young……Teaming up with Fanatics felt natural. It lets me connect with fans in that same way and create new opportunities for them to support me….My journey has not been the easiest, with injuries and adversity, so seeing people continue to believe in me through the highs and lows is really special.”

As part of the deal, Fanatics will make annual donations to the Paige Bueckers Foundation, an organization she founded to promote justice and opportunity across four areas: sport, creativity, wellness, and economic and food equity. Well, it’s her way of giving back.            

After all, it’s the same community that lifted her up. Just last year, the Action Network ranked her the fourth most marketable college athlete in the U.S. and No. 1 in women’s basketball. She scored 43.1 out of 100 overall, with an impressive 98.1% Instagram followers’ growth rate. Her audience score, 16.7 out of 30, was backed by her nearly two million Instagram followers.

But is this the only big move Paige has in store for November, or is there more to come?