Why UConn great Paige Bueckers received Victor Wembanyama's Nike-gifted World Cup tickets
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One of the most exclusive events on this year's sporting calendar came to Dallas last month as Spain and France faced off in a titanic World Cup semifinal clash.
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Former UConn women's basketball star Paige Bueckers received tickets to join a capacity crowd of 70,649 at Dallas Stadium as a perk of her long-standing relationship with Nike. According to a The Athletic story released Monday, the tickets initially belonged to Victor Wembanyama, but after the France native and fellow Lone Star State star canceled late, Bueckers attended in his place.
"I'm not alien status," Bueckers joked to The Athletic about her position on Nike's "pecking order."
Bueckers and Nike uniquely began their relationship while the star point guard still played collegiate basketball for UConn, signing the Minnesota native to a multi-year commitment in 2023. The Paige Bueckers G.T. Hustle 3 shoe was released the following winter and marked the first Nike Player Edition basketball shoe designed for an NIL athlete.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 07, 2024: Paige Bueckers #5 of the UConn Huskies reacts while wearing the Nike G.T. Hustle 3 Paige Bueckers Player Edition sneaker during the first half against the Louisville Cardinals in the Shark Beauty Women's Champions Classic. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)Wembanyama ultimately saved himself from a heartbreaking afternoon, as Spain's midfield, led by former Connecticut camp attendee Rodri, dictated tempo in a 2-0 win. La Roja went on to outlast Lionel Messi and Argentina 1-0 in extra time to secure the nation's second World Cup.
Dallas hosted nine games at this summer's FIFA World Cup, the most of any host venue. Bueckers hopped on the hype train early, attending an entertaining 2-2 draw between Japan and the Netherlands in the group stage.
"They asked us to come to a game and we all said yes, of course. It was the first World Cup experience that we ever got to enjoy," Bueckers said in June. "...To see the fan support from all across the world, it was really cool."
Bueckers will now shift gears to participate in the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup next month, forming a new generation of American superstars with Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese while joining fellow UConn alums Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart. The United States' quest for a fifth-straight title will begin next Friday against China at 8:15 a.m. ET.
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