Nike and 2025 Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers might be silently building something together, and people are starting to notice. 

As per cllctmedia on Instagram, Nike has officially filed a trademark application for the “PB Bucket” wordmark to be used across footwear and apparel. 

Sneaker & Streetwear Legal Services (@SneakerLegal) also reported that Nike filed a trademark for “a bucket design incorporating the stylized letters PB within the design.”

The logo might look familiar to those following Paige Bueckers since her UConn days, as it was used on Paige Bueckers’ Nike G.T. Hustle 3 Player Edition sneaker released in December 2024.

The release marked a historic moment as Paige Bueckers became the first NIL athlete to design and launch a Nike PE basketball sneaker. As Nike also put it in the product description, the G.T. Hustle 3 marked “the first Nike Player Edition basketball shoe designed for an NIL athlete.” 

With Nike's full attention on Caitlin Clark's signature shoe coming out in Spring 2026, Paige Bueckers’ moment may still be in the talks. However, there have been no official announcements from Bueckers or Nike about their collaboration. Nike may tweak the logo, considering the WNBA Reddit forum had fans comparing the logo to a trash can.

While the trademarking may not immediately lead to a release or announcement, it opens the door for ownership and future licensing opportunities. As per reports, the filing covers footwear, headwear, shirts, sweaters, and more. 

At the same time, Paige Bueckers is at the center of holiday attention

Bueckers is gearing up for her first season of Unrivaled. Joining Breeze BC, the Miami team, on Jan 5, Paige Bueckers is excited for her first time playing in the 3-on-3 league.

"I love playing any kind of basketball. The WNBA off-season is pretty long, so this is an exciting opportunity. We have a very intriguing young squad that I can’t wait to play with."

And amidst all of this, some worry about Bueckers since Drake posted a picture of her. Now, fans think Bueckers will face the 'Drake Curse'.

If we see her fail dismally in the first Unrivaled game, it might be so.

Written by

Fatema Kapasi

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar