Photo: UConn's Paige Bueckers 1st NIL Athlete to Design and Launch Nike PE Shoes

Paige Bueckers' custom Nike G.T. Hustle 3 is dropping Saturday, with the UConn star becoming the first NIL athlete to get their own player edition from the brand.

"It's definitely motivating to wear your own shoe," Bueckers said, per The Athletic's Ben Pickman. "I grew up wearing Nikes—all the signature shoes—so it's surreal to have this player edition model. I just want to show out in it."

The senior guard signed with Nike ahead of the 2023-24 season. Sole Retriever first reported in July her own unique design would be forthcoming within the Nike G.T. Hustle line.

Among the personalized touches are the area codes for Storrs, Connecticut, and her hometown of Hopkins, Minnesota, on the left tongue. The right tongue features a bucket as a nod to her "Paige Buckets" nickname.

"There are so many details that make this shoe special to me," Bueckers said. "This is the perfect colorway for me: I love baby blue and lavender, and the Radial Knit makes me feel fly. My favorite detail is the message from my dad, and the tribute to both of my homes is so meaningful for my first Player Edition model."

A two-time unanimous first-team All-American and the national player of the year in 2020-21, Bueckers returned to form last year after a torn ACL sidelined her for her entire junior campaign. She averaged 22.0 points on 53.0 percent shooting along with 5.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.2 steals.

UConn reached the Final Four of the NCAA tournament for the 23rd time, where it came up just short against Caitlin Clark and Iowa.

The Huskies are off to a 6-0 start in 2024-25 and sits second nationally behind UCLA. Bueckers has put up 22.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per contest in what's expected to be her final college season.