What do you do when life knocks you down? If you’re Paige Bueckers, you get back up. Again. And again. And then you come back stronger, faster, and more focused than ever before.
This week, I want to celebrate a young woman who didn’t just overcome adversity—she outplayed it. UConn basketball star Paige Bueckers is living proof that your setbacks don’t define you—your comebacks do.
From Breakout Star to Heartbreaking Injury
Let’s rewind to her freshman year: Paige took the college basketball world by storm. She wasn’t just good—she was electric. She won the Naismith College Player of the Year, the Wooden Award, and the AP Player of the Year… as a freshman. That’s unheard of.
Then came the curveballs.
• Sophomore year: She fractures her knee and tears her meniscus. Out for 19 games.
• Junior year: A torn ACL during a pickup game. She misses the entire season. Injuries like that don’t just sideline your body—they mess with your mind. They can steal your momentum, shake your confidence, and make you question if you’ll ever get back to where you were.
But not Paige.
While the world questioned whether she could ever return to form, Paige quietly went to work. Rehab, recovery, repetition. Not glamorous. Not headline-grabbing. But essential. And this season? She didn’t just return—she led UConn to a national championship. She played like she had something to prove—not to the critics, but to herself. She showed up with leadership, grit, and the kind of heart you can’t teach. She reminded the world that greatness isn’t about avoiding adversity—it’s about rising through it. And it paid off this week when she was drafted number one in the WNBA draft!
Front-row living means refusing to let detours become dead ends. Paige didn’t allow herself to get stuck in the pain of the past. She stayed focused on the dream ahead. She didn’t just sit in the stands of her own life—she fought her way back to center court. So here’s your reminder: The setback you’re facing right now? It doesn’t have to be the end of your story. You might be in recovery. You might be benched. But you are not out of the game.
Be like Paige.
Get back up.
Put in the work.
And when it’s your time, step fully into the front row of your own life—where you belong.
Cheering you on from courtside!
Your Head Usher,
Marilyn
