Renaming a city for a rookie? Why one Minnesota town says Paige Bueckers is worth it
Fans of UConn guard Paige Bueckers cheer for her during practice at the Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Hopkins, Minnesota, is making a bold and heartfelt gesture as the city prepares to honor its most famous hometown hero, Paige Bueckers. On May 16, the city will officially rename itself
Paige Bueckers
, Minnesota for the day in celebration of her professional debut with the
Dallas Wings
. This symbolic move, announced by the
Hopkins City Council
on April 15, coincides with Bueckers' first regular season game in the WNBA, where she will face off against the
Minnesota Lynx
.
Paige Bueckers is no stranger to the people of Hopkins. From her early days as the face of
Hopkins High School
basketball, where she led her team to the 2019 state championship, to becoming the heart of UConn's women's basketball program, Bueckers has always remained deeply connected to her roots.
At the city council meeting where the renaming was proposed, Councilmember Aaron Kuznia shared a personal memory of Bueckers' time at Hopkins, reflecting on her dedication to her fans. In 2020, after a state semifinal game, Bueckers could have easily left with the team to celebrate the win, but she chose to stay and sign autographs for over 200 young fans. Kuznia recalled, 'There were NBA players there at that game, it was a big deal. I remember seeing the athletes leaving the locker room and some of the other ones saying, 'Hey, we're going to Davanni's to celebrate our victory tonight.' Paige said, 'I'll catch up with you.' There were over 200 kids standing in that line, and she could have left with the team well before that and just went to Davanni's. I just think that speaks to her character.'
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Though the renaming is purely honorary and no babies born on May 16 won't be officially given the name Paige Bueckers, it aligns with a larger initiative to make Hopkins a "home base" for women's sports fans and create an ongoing celebration of Bueckers' professional journey. Laila Imihy, Hopkins' special projects manager, initially proposed a simple resolution to congratulate Bueckers after her national championship win with UConn. However, the idea quickly grew into something more significant after city manager Mike Mornson suggested going bigger to honor the hometown hero. Imihy, a lifelong women's basketball fan and season ticket holder for the Minnesota Lynx, said, "I think people are really excited. Our business community is awesome, and they are usually pretty game for fun ideas like this."
The city plans to involve local businesses to promote the WNBA season opener and engage the community. Imihy emphasized the importance of including local businesses in the festivities, encouraging them to come up with creative ways to celebrate the occasion. "We don't want it to just be all focused on just the game that night. We have bookstores in town, we have coffee shops, there's all kinds of businesses, so we're really trying to encourage people to come up with some creative ideas to be involved."
Beyond her basketball skills, Bueckers has remained a strong presence in her community. In 2023, she opened a free grocery store at Hopkins West Junior High School in partnership with Chegg and Goodr. She also worked with StockX to revitalize the basketball court at her elementary school in 2022. Additionally, her player edition Nike GT Hustle 3 sneakers released in December featured both the 612 area code (for Minneapolis) and Storrs' 860 on the tongue, symbolizing her connection to both her hometown and her UConn roots.
As the city renames itself for Paige Bueckers, another layer of excitement is building. The Minnesota Lynx, the state's beloved WNBA team, will face off against Bueckers' Dallas Wings on May 16 in her debut game, and again in Minneapolis on May 21. While many in Minnesota have long hoped to see Bueckers play for the Lynx, especially considering her admiration for UConn legend Maya Moore, Imihy believes Hopkins residents will be torn between supporting their local hero and their home state's team.
'I think people will have a hard time in Minnesota choosing who to root for, but you win either way,' Imihy joked. 'A lot of what I see, especially on social media, is people saying she's going to be a Lynx one day, she will be a Lynx player someday, so I think that would be the best outcome.'
For now, Hopkins is focused on celebrating Paige Bueckers' remarkable journey and giving her the recognition she truly deserves. The city's renaming serves as a tribute to one of its own, showing just how much her legacy means to the community that raised her.
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