Nike is making it clear that its commitment to women’s basketball extends far beyond game days. While the NBA typically owns the sneaker spotlight on Christmas, 2025 continues to prove that WNBA stars drive just as much cultural momentum, per Sports Illustrated. This time, the focus lands on Paige Bueckers.
Earlier this month, Sneaker & Streetwear Legal Services, known online as SneakerLegal, reported that Nike filed a trademark tied directly to Bueckers. The application outlines a bucket-shaped logo featuring interlocking “PB” lettering, a direct nod to her long-standing nickname, Paige Buckets. Trademark filings matter because they secure exclusive rights, protect brand identity, and open doors for licensing and long-term merchandising.
The filing covers a wide range of products, including footwear, headwear, shirts, sweaters, and related apparel. In simple terms, Nike is not just honoring Bueckers’ on-court excellence. The brand is laying legal groundwork for a full lifestyle presence built around her name and image.
NEW Nike Trademark application filed earlier this month of “a bucket design incorporating the stylized letters PB within the design.”
Who knows wh this logo is for? pic.twitter.com/97KzXDNluB
— Sneaker & Streetwear Legal Services® (@SneakerLegal) December 24, 2025
A Logo With History and Intent
The newly trademarked logo will look familiar to sneaker fans. It already appeared on Bueckers’ player-exclusive colorway of the Nike GT Hustle 3, which released in December 2024. That drop marked a milestone, as the UConn Huskies star became the first NIL athlete to receive a Nike player-exclusive basketball shoe.
The design leaned heavily into personal storytelling. The multi-color silhouette featured blues and purples, her favorite shades. Additional details included area codes tied to Connecticut and her Minnesota roots. Personal messages on the heel, including “Be You, Be Great” from her father and “Buckets!”, completed the narrative.
Bueckers does not have a signature shoe yet, and no reporting points to an imminent launch. Nike’s near-term spotlight will likely center on Caitlin Clark and her upcoming debut model. Still, this trademark filing sends a clear signal. Nike sees Bueckers as more than a face of the game. It sees a brand worth protecting, expanding, and building for the long run.
