What did Paige Bueckers say in her ESPYS speech?
PAIGE Bueckers is the star point guard for the University of Connecticut women's basketball team. On July 10, 2021, she was named the best college athlete in women's sports at the 2021 ESPYS. Paige Bueckers is an American college basketball player for the UConn Huskies of the Big East Conference. As a freshman for UConn, Bueckers averaged 20 points and over five assists a game. In high school, Bueckers was the National Gatorade Player of the Year, the Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year, and a McDonald's All-American. Born October 20, 2001, she Buckers is 19-years-old. She boasts over 800,000 followers on Instagram. Bueckers used her acceptance speech from her ESPY award to honor Black women and acknowledge Black athletes. She said that last season in the WBNA, 80% of the post-season awards were won by Black players, but they got half the amount of coverage of the White athletes. "With the light that I have now as a White woman who leads a Black-led sport and celebrated here, I want to shed a light on Black women," said Bueckers, the reigning national player of the year. "They don't get the media coverage that they deserve. They've given so much to the sport, the community and society as a whole and their value is undeniable," she said. 2 Bueckers was awarded best college athlete in women's sports at the ESPYS 2021 Credit: Getty  "I think it's time for change. Sports media holds the key to storylines. Sports media and sponsors tell us who is valuable, and you have told the world that I mattered today, and everyone who voted, thank you. But I think we should use this power together to also celebrate Black women." She went on to acknowledge other Black women trailblazers. "To Maria Taylor, Robin Roberts, Maya Moore, Odicci Alexander. To all the incredible Black women in my life and on my teams. To Breonna Taylor and all the lives lost, and to those names who are not yet learned, but I hope to share, I stand behind you and I continue to follow you, follow your lead and fight for you guys so I just want to say thank you for everything," she said.