Paige Bueckers’ hometown being renamed after her for WNBA debut

Paige Bueckers has the whole city of Hopkins behind her — even in name.

In a salute to one of its most accomplished residents, the city of Hopkins, Minn., will temporarily rename itself “Paige Bueckers, Minnesota” on May 16, 2025.

This special designation coincides with Bueckers’ pro basketball debut after being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft by the Dallas Wings.​

The Hopkins City Council unanimously passed a proclamation to honor Bueckers’ remarkable achievements.

The day will be officially recognized as “Paige Bueckers Day,” with local businesses participating in themed specials and hosting watch parties for the Wings’ season opener.

“The City of Hopkins would like to honor her accomplishments and wish her the best of luck at the professional level by proclaiming May 16th as Paige Bueckers Day and renaming the city to Paige Bueckers, Minnesota for the day,” the announcement read. “We invite the community to celebrate the kickoff of the WNBA season with Think Hopkins and our local businesses on WNBA watch day, where businesses will have themed specials, air the game and celebrate the season opener – because everybody watches women’s sports.”

Bueckers’ basketball career rose to prominence at Hopkins High School, where she gained national attention and became arguably the No. 1 player in the country.

Hopkins was the Gatorade Player of the Year, Morgan Wooten Player of the Year and Naismith Prep Player of the Year, along with being a McDonald’s High School All-American and Minnesota’s Miss Basketball.

Bueckers recently won her first and only national title in college with UConn, while also garnering First Team All-American honors and the Nancy Libermann Award for a second time.

Bueckers and the Wings will open their 2025 WNBA campaign at home against the Minnesota Lynx, who lost to the Liberty in last year’s WNBA Finals.