From her on-court dominance to sky-high follower count, Paige Bueckers is one of the most marketable players in college basketball — if not all of NCAA sports. 

But while other athletes of a similar caliber have been cashing in, the superstar has been unusually quiet on the NIL front. Even less talented, decorated, and well-known players have gotten in on the action. Some of her teammates have signed with national brands like Chipotle, too.

“There’s a lot that goes into it,” Bueckers said at Big East Media Day on Tuesday. “Lot of photo shoots, lot of interviews, lot of stuff that you have to do behind the scenes. I’m not certainly prepared for all of that. So I’ve been taking it slow. I’m trying not to rush into it too much.”

Between the moves she made over the summer and her recent comments, however, it’s clear she has something planned.

• Bueckers signed with Wasserman, which is currently also representing Sarah Fuller.
• She filed a trademark application for the phrase “Paige Buckets,” though she hasn’t said publicly how she’ll use it, whether it’s for merchandise or otherwise.
• Bueckers hinted that she has been working on…well…something that will be ready by tip-off: “I’m just trying to get everything done before the season,” she said.

It’s possible that NIL interest can spike during the regular season for certain sports. But Bueckers has no plans to capitalize on that. 

“Once the basketball season starts, that’s my main and only focus,” she said. “My agent knows that, and everybody that works with me knows that.”

Bueckers won both Player of the Year accolades last season. The Big East named her the 2021-22 Preseason Player of the Year. She’ll eventually be the No. 1 WNBA draft pick.

While the face of women’s college basketball may not be rushing into NIL, she also rightfully ranks near the top of multiple NIL valuation lists. 

Even if the exact value is unclear, she’s going to profit big time. It’s just a question of when.

• Opendorse predicted Bueckers could be worth close to $400,000, while Student Athlete NIL put that number higher at $700,000, according to The Union Democrat.
• Another study recently found that she could make up to $1 million a year. 
• Bueckers isn’t so sure about that last figure, however. “That’s easy for everybody else to say, how I could make this much money,” Bueckers said. “But they’re not the actual people doing it.” 

Though he didn’t give a number, UConn coach Geno Auriemma thinks that Bueckers will cash in. “If Paige plays it right, there will only be two, three, or four [companies]. But they won’t be getting free haircuts. They’ll be really big.”

Either way, Bueckers isn’t concerned. “She doesn’t spend a lot of time worrying about [NIL],” Auriemma said. “She’s not sitting there saying, where’s my next deal coming from, or what do I have to do to attract more potential suitors.”

Here’s what we know: She has another full season where she’ll likely become a more dominant player — and increase her earning potential even more.