Paige Bueckers becomes first college athlete to sign with Gatorade
Paige Bueckers has signed an endorsement deal with Gatorade, becoming the first-ever college athlete to sign with the company.
The 20-year-old UConn basketball star agreed to a multi-year deal with the company. She’ll feature in television commercials, social pushes, product collaborations and events as part of the deal.
BREAKING: Gatorade has signed its first-ever college athlete — UConn star Paige Bueckers.
The multiyear deal marks Gatorade's first foray into NIL and Bueckers' second.
Bueckers will join marketing and community activations focused on driving impact for women's basketball 🏀 pic.twitter.com/XdXxejcsq1
Neither party disclosed the financial terms of the deal.
Bueckers joins a Gatorade roster that includes the likes of 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, two-time WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne and Olympic gold-medalist Sydney McLaughlin.
“I know this is just the beginning of our partnership and can’t wait to get to work with Gatorade to drive impact in the community and on the women’s game,” Bueckers told Bloomberg in an email.
It’s the second major deal Bueckers has signed after joining StockX in November. She’s currently represented by Wasserman Media Group.
Bueckers is the second UConn athlete to have signed an endorsement deal with a major drink company after Azzi Fudd previously signed with BioSteel.
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End-of-Year Roster Decisions Sweep NWSL Clubs as Free Agency Heats Up
2023 NWSL MVP Kerolin is now out-of-contract with the NC Courage. (EM Dash/Imagn Images)
All 14 NWSL teams issued final end-of-year roster decisions on Tuesday, as the 2025 free agency period shifts into full gear.
Athletes who are currently out-of-contract are now technically on the chopping block, faced with either negotiating new terms to return to their teams or taking the leap and brokering a fresh deal elsewhere.
Standouts listed as out-of-contact include 2024 NWSL champion and Orlando Pride captain Marta as well as NC Courage striker and the league's 2023 MVP Kerolin. Several current and former USWNT stars also face offseason negotiations, like Gotham FC forward Midge Purce, Portland Thorns center back Becky Sauerbrunn, and Angel City forward Christen Press.
Multiple teams have already acknowledged an intent to retain top players by announcing ongoing negotiations in their final 2024 roster announcements, with Press, Marta, and Kerolin in talks to stay with their clubs.
Under the league's new CBA, when a team declines a player's contract option, that player automatically becomes an unrestricted free agent, guaranteeing roster shakeups despite this year's lack of expansion and college drafts.
Both athletes whose contracts have expired and those whose options have been declined are considered out-of-contract. While those players will be weighing their options on the open market, teams will be doing the same, deciding who to try to retain and who to officially waive.
Clubs will make many of those decisions imminently, as the waiver wire will open and close this week, before the trade window opens again on December 13th.
The league will take a transaction moratorium from December 20th to 27th, after which teams can resume signings.
Between the CBA-induced influx of free agents and the lack of drafts forcing front offices into what could be lengthy recruiting and negotiating processes to attract young talent, the business of building an NWSL roster has become more complicated.
That said, some clubs seem to be capitalizing on the shake-up. After finishing the season in last place, the Houston Dash have already seen significant roster action — including nabbing defender Christen Westphal from San Diego and signing ex-Gotham free agent Delanie Sheehan — setting an aggressive rebuilding example as the NWSL embraces a new era.
JWS Staff
Dec 11, 2024
‘Time Magazine’ Crowns Caitlin Clark 2024 Athlete of the Year
Caitlin Clark is the first WNBA player to receive the 'Time Magazine' honor. (Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
Thanks to her impact on and off the court, Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark was named Time Magazine'sAthlete of the Year on Tuesday. Clark is the first WNBA player to receive the award and just the second individual woman athlete, joining 2021 honoree Simone Biles.
The 22-year-old's 2024 resume is extraordinary. Clark wrapped up her NCAA career as Division I's all-time leading scorer, helping Iowa reach a second-straight national championship game.
Since becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, Clark's pro debut included claiming the league's single-season assist record and fueling the Fever to their first playoff berth since 2016. Along the way, she picked up both All-Star honors and the WNBA's Rookie of the Year award.
Clark's on-court skills built a massive following, drawing record viewership and attendance at both the college and professional level. Her ascent into the league helped the WNBA record its most-watched regular season in 24 years.
That surge in fandom has directly contributed to the sport's growth, something venerated South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley acknowledged on the 2024 NCAA Championship podium, saying, "I want to personally thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport."
More eyes, however, have made the fan-favorite a lightning rod for online discourse, with even minor on-court moments sparking intense national debates.
"I tell people I feel like the most controversial person," Clark says in Time magazine's detailed interview. "But I am not. It's just because of all the storylines that surround me."
While Clark's talent certainly warrants attention, she also acknowledges the role her race plays in commanding the national spotlight.
"I want to say I’ve earned every single thing, but as a white person, there is privilege," she explains. "A lot of those players in the league that have been really good have been Black players. This league has kind of been built on them. The more we can appreciate that, highlight that, talk about that, and then continue to have brands and companies invest in those players that have made this league incredible, I think it’s very important.
"I have to continue to try to change that. The more we can elevate Black women, that’s going to be a beautiful thing."
Ultimately, Clark's 2024 will be remembered as a watershed moment for women's basketball — and women's sports at large. But, as she tells Time, it will also hopefully mark the start of a long and accomplished career.
JWS Staff
Dec 11, 2024
‘The Late Sub’ Talks WNBA Expansion Draft and Top 10 NCAA Basketball
Defending NCAA basketball champions No. 3 South Carolina logged two Top-10 wins last week. (Chris Jones/Imagn Images)
On today's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins dives into basketball. She kicks things off with a look at the first WNBA expansion draft since 2008, when the Golden State Valkyries selected 11 players from around the league to build their inaugural 2025 roster.
Pivoting to the college court, Watson chats through No. 3 South Carolina's winning week, zeroing in on how the defending national champions dominated two Top-10 teams.
The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.
Subscribe to The Late Sub to never miss an episode.
Dee Lab
Dec 10, 2024
Tennessee Ends NCAA Basketball AP Poll Rankings Drought
Tennessee is back in the AP basketball poll for the first time this year. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
With Saturday's 78-68 upset win over then-No. 17 Iowa, Tennessee earned their first NCAA basketball AP Top 25 nod since November 2023, slotting in at No. 19 and putting an end to the historic powerhouse's longest-ever unranked streak.
The still-undefeated Vols have featured in nearly 90% of the 870 total AP polls since the list's 1976 beginnings, but this week's Top 25 return is a triumphant one.
"The beauty of it is we earned it," head coach Kim Caldwell told reporters after the rankings dropped on Monday. "Not because the name is Tennessee. We didn’t start (ranked)."
Two big wins lifted Notre Dame to No. 8 in this week's AP poll. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Minor shifts pervade updated AP basketball rankings
While No. 1 UCLA, No. 2 UConn, and No. 3 South Carolina held steady atop Monday's poll, last week's eliteNCAA basketball schedule caused minor shifts throughout much of the Top 25. Behind losses to the defending champion Gamecocks, Duke dropped one spot to No. 9 and TCU slid three to No. 12.
After suffering their season's first loss on Thursday, an 80-70 overtime thriller against Notre Dame, the Texas Longhorns fell two poll positions to No. 6.
The Irish used their momentum to tack on a second victory on Sunday, routing Syracuse 93-62 behind a trio of 20+ point double-doubles from Hannah Hidalgo, Olivia Miles, and Sonia Citron. Those big wins lifted Notre Dame two spots to No. 8 this week.
Behind respective losses to aforementioned Tennessee and then-unranked NC State, Iowa and Ole Miss fell the farthest, tumbling four spots each to Nos. 21 and 22.
On the other hand, undefeated Michigan State's best start in program history saw the Spartans leap seven spots to No. 17 in the poll's biggest bump.
UConn routed Louisville in Saturday's Champions Classic, sending the Cardinals out of the poll. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
AP basketball poll exits and newcomers
Joining Tennessee in making their 2024 AP poll debut this week is No. 25 Georgia Tech, whose 9-0 record marks the Yellow Jackets' best season start since 1977. NC State is also back, tying Ole Miss at No. 22 after a week out of the rankings.
Meanwhile, Louisville's fourth season loss by way of UConn's 85-52 Champions Classic smackdown on Saturday sent the now-unranked Cardinals packing. Joining them in leaving this week's poll are Illinois, who logged their third season loss against No. 11 Ohio State on Sunday, and Alabama, who succumbed to unranked Cal last week.
Paige Bueckers's No. 2 UConn will take on Hannah Hidalgo and No. 8 Notre Dame on Thursday. (Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images)
How to watch midweek Top 25 NCAA basketball
Under the new rankings, NCAA basketball has two ranked matchups on deck this week. First, No. 18 Iowa State will battle state rivals No. 21 Iowa at 9 PM ET on Wednesday, airing live on FS1.
The marquee midweek matchup, however, hits the court at 7 PM ET on Thursday, when preseason All-Americans Paige Bueckers and Hannah Hidalgo will meet when No. 8 Notre Dame hosts No. 2 UConn.
The battle between two of the nation's best guards will be broadcast on ESPN.
