Before the sellout crowds at UConn and the number one overall pick in the WNBA draft, there was just a skinny kid in Minnetonka. Honestly, if you saw 7th grade Paige Bueckers walking through the halls of Hopkins North Junior High, you might not have pinned her as a future global icon. She was small. She was quiet. But on a basketball court? That’s where things got weird.
Most people think Paige just woke up one day as "Paige Buckets." They assume the highlights started in high school. That's not really how it went down. By the time she was twelve or thirteen, the foundations of her game—that "how did she see that?" passing and the effortless flick of a jumper—were already causing headaches for coaches twice her age.
The Hopkins "JV" Year That Wasn't Really JV
In the 2014-2015 season, most 7th graders are worried about middle school dances or making the "A" team in travel ball. Paige was a different story. She was technically playing for the Hopkins High School 10th-grade and junior varsity teams while she was still in middle school.
Think about that for a second.
You’ve got a 12-year-old girl bringing the ball up against 16-year-old sophomores. Usually, the physical gap there is massive. But Paige had this way of making physics irrelevant. She wasn't overpowering anyone. She was just... smarter. She’d use a ball screen, wait for the hedge to overcommit, and then whip a no-look pass to the corner before the defender even landed.
Why the 7th grade year was the turning point
- The Growth Spurt: Around this time, Paige grew about four inches. This took her from "talented small guard" to "versatile threat."
- North Tartan Dominance: She started playing year-round with North Tartan, an AAU powerhouse in the Nike EYBL circuit. This is where she started seeing national-level speed.
- The Mentorship: Her coach, Tara Starks, had been pushing her since the third grade. In 7th grade, the leash came off.
It’s kinda wild to look back at old grainy footage of 7th grade Paige Bueckers. She’s wearing a jersey that looks three sizes too big. Her socks are pulled up high. But when she shoots? The form is identical to what you see now. It’s that same high release, that same "snap" of the wrist.
What Most People Get Wrong About Her Early Days
There's this myth that Paige was always the best player on the floor. While she was usually the most skilled, she wasn't always the most dominant. In 7th grade, she was still finding her voice. She was almost too unselfish.
Her dad, Bob Bueckers, has talked about how he had to nudge her to actually shoot the ball. She’d rather have ten assists than twenty points. Honestly, that’s a trait that stuck with her all the way to the pros. But in 7th grade, she was just starting to realize that her "gravity" on the court opened up everything for her teammates.
She wasn't on the varsity roster yet—that didn't happen until 8th grade—but the varsity coach, Brian Cosgriff, already knew what he had. He was watching those JV games and seeing a kid who played with the composure of a ten-year veteran. It wasn't just hype. It was a projection of a player who would eventually become the first sophomore ever to win the Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year.
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The AAU Grind and the North Tartan Era
If you want to understand 7th grade Paige Bueckers, you have to look at the Nike EYBL. Playing for North Tartan wasn't just "playing ball." It was a business trip every weekend.
She was competing against the best girls in the country, many of whom were older and stronger. This is where the "Paige Buckets" persona started to bake. You can't be a 7th grader playing up in the 15U or 16U divisions without getting your bell rung a few times. She learned how to use her handle to create space because she couldn't just blow past people with raw speed yet.
"She had a way of making the game look like it was moving in slow motion, even back then. You’d try to press her, and she’d just smile and throw a cross-court dime." — Common sentiment among early MN scouts.
The Skills That Were Already "Pro-Level" in Middle School
It’s easy to say "she was good." It’s harder to explain why.
Basically, her basketball IQ was off the charts before she could even drive a car. Most kids at that age watch the ball. Paige watched the feet of the defenders. She knew that if a girl shifted her weight even a fraction of an inch to the left, she was gone.
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Her shooting range was also ridiculous. Even as a 7th grader, she was comfortable stepping back and hitting from NBA range. It wasn't a heave; it was a rhythmic shot. That’s what caught the eye of big-time programs early. People don't realize that schools like Minnesota and Iowa State were already sniffing around before she even started her freshman year of high school.
From 7th Grade Highlights to WNBA History
Looking at her now, leading the Dallas Wings and breaking rookie records, it’s easy to forget the "skinny kid" phase. But that 7th grade year was the laboratory. It was the year she realized she could hang with the big girls.
She wasn't just a local kid who got lucky. She was a kid who spent 5 hours a day in the gym because, as she told Nike in an interview, basketball was her "escape."
The transition from 7th grade to her 8th-grade varsity debut was seamless because she had already done the work. In her first year of varsity, she averaged nearly 9 points and led the team in three-point shooting. That doesn't happen unless you've spent the previous year (your 7th grade year) getting beat up by older players on the JV and AAU circuit.
Actionable Insights for Rising Players
If you’re a young player or a parent looking at the "Paige Bueckers Blueprint," here is what actually worked for her during those middle school years:
- Play Up, Not Down: Paige almost always played against older, more physical competition. It forced her to develop a handle and a high-IQ game rather than relying on athleticism.
- Master the "Unsexy" Skills: Everyone wants to dunk or hit deep threes. In 7th grade, Paige mastered the entry pass and the defensive rotation.
- Find a Long-Term Mentor: Having the same coach (Tara Starks) from 3rd grade through high school provided a level of consistency and accountability that is rare in today’s "jump around" AAU culture.
- Embrace the Growth: Use the "skinny" years to perfect your shooting form. When the strength and height finally come, the muscle memory will already be there.
The story of Paige Bueckers didn't start at UConn. It started in a suburban gym in Minnesota where a 7th grader decided she was going to be the best to ever do it.