Player Profile: Paige Bueckers

Despite the long standing tradition of extremely successful girls basketball players from HHS, it is safe to say that Paige Bueckers, freshman, is unlike anyone else the Royals have ever seen.

Bueckers attributes the beginning of her basketball career to her father’s love for the game.

“I got into basketball because my dad loves basketball so we always watched it and it looked pleasing to my eye. So very often we went to the gym and I started playing basketball and it just came naturally to me,” Bueckers said.

Bueckers made her varsity debut last year as an eighth-grader. Though her stats were modest, at the end of the year she was picked to be on the State All-Tournament team, along with other stand-out players from the state tournament, but that was just the beginning.

“My biggest improvement was probably strength, even though I can get much stronger, and just being versatile and not always playing the point guard,” Bueckers said of the growth of her game from last season to this season.

This year, averaging 20.8 points per game, with a game high of 30 points, Bueckers is the Royals greatest offensive contributor. Bueckers’ .667 3-point percentage, and outstanding ball handling skills make her a deadly threat to the Royals opponents.  

Nevertheless, with five blocks in the first seven games, and an unfailing effort on the defensive side, Bueckers’ game is clearly well-rounded.

Bueckers contributions have helped the Royals as they look to continue their undefeated season, with a current record of 22-0. The Royals are also currently ranked no. 1 in Minnesota and no. 23 in the nation according to espnW’s power rankings, but her goals for the team reach even farther than that.

“My goals for this team is first to win our conference, win our section, win state, and just build memories that last a lifetime,” Bueckers said.

Bueckers also plays year-round for her AAU team North Tartan, a program that other Royals players such as Angie Hammond, junior, are also part of. Some of her favorite basketball memories come from playing with North Tartan.

“My favorite memory is winning two big national tournaments for AAU down in Atlanta and Tennessee. My AAU team flowed together so perfectly and we went down there to show that and that’s what we did,” Bueckers said.

This week you can watch Bueckers lead the Royals against conference rival Edina on Fri., Feb. 10, at Edina HS.