UConn’s Paige Bueckers Signs Exclusive NIL Trading Card Contract with Panini America

Scott Polacek@@ScottPolacekFeatured Columnist IVNovember 20, 2024

Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Panini America reached a name, image and likeness deal with the biggest name in women’s college basketball this season in UConn’s Paige Bueckers, per Reuters.

The exclusive, multi-year agreement will feature autographed trading cards of Bueckers as well as a full team set for the 2024-25 UConn Huskies. It will also feature a product line of some of the pioneers of women’s basketball who have influenced the star guard throughout her career.

Bueckers joins stars such as Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese who have signed partnerships with Panini.

“Growing up I used to collect cards of all my favorite players, to know that my teammates and I will have our own Panini trading cards and that fans are going to go collect it is really special,” Bueckers said. “I can’t wait to collaborate on projects that give collectors and fans more ways to celebrate our game.”

Bueckers’ loaded resume includes the 2020-21 Naismith Award, Wooden Award and Associated Press Player of the Year award. She is also a two-time All-American and two-time Big East Player of the Year who is once again under the spotlight in 2024-25.

Through three games this season, she is averaging 21.3 points, 4.0 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 3.0 steals while shooting 65 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range. The overall efficiency despite being the primary focus of opposing defenses every night stands out, and she is the primary reason the Huskies are on the short list of realistic national title contenders.

If she continues to live up to expectations and play at such a high level, she will be all but a lock to be the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 WNBA draft.

That would give the Dallas Wings a foundational building block in the backcourt who is already a household name among basketball fans because of her collegiate career.

And now those fans will have the opportunity to collect some of her trading cards following this partnership.