Paige Bueckers Speaks Out About ICE Actions In Minnesota
Paige Bueckers condemned ICE’s actions in her home state and donated $50,000 of Unrivaled winnings to a local charity.
Featured Image: Tomas Diniz Santos/Getty Images
Minnesota native and WNBA Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers spoke out about ICE’s actions in her home state. At an Unrivaled shootaround, Bueckers got emotional while opening up to USA Today about her Minnesota pride and her dismay at the actions of federal immigration officers following the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good this month.
“It’s unfortunate. Honestly, I’ve grown up seeing, and been a part of, peaceful protests, marches and the community coming together because of tragic events,” Bueckers said. “Innocent lives are being taken, innocent families are being broken apart. People are afraid to send their children to school; people are afraid to go to work and provide for their family; people are afraid to go to the grocery store.”
The young star told the outlet that Minnesota’s perseverance “is what Minnesota is all about.” Last week, the Hopkins, MN native donated her $50,000 winnings from the Unrivaled Free Throw Competition to The #HopkinsStrong Relief Fund. The fund is designed to “help feed children and meet other urgent needs during this time of heightened stress and uncertainty in our community.”
Bueckers is not the only basketball star who has expressed solidarity with the people of Minnesota. Unrivaled co-founder and WNBA legend Breanna Stewart appeared at a game with a sign reading “Abolish ICE.” In a statement after the game, Stewart said, “We’re so fueled by hate right now instead of love, so I wanted to have a simple message of ‘Abolish ICE,’ which means having policies to uplift families and communities instead of fueling fear and violence.”
Unrivaled co-founder and WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart held up an “Abolish ICE” sign during player intros ahead of Mist’s game this afternoon.
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) January 25, 2026
Photo via @Unrivaledwbb pic.twitter.com/mK9TDIJ6Ge
Stewart said ICE’s actions “hit home” even more because her wife, Marta Xargay Casademont, is a Spanish citizen who is still working to get U.S. citizenship. “To be married to Marta … we’re working to get her citizenship, and she is a legal permanent resident and all of that. But it seems like it doesn’t matter. And I think that that’s why these policies need to be put in place, that reform needs to happen, because it doesn’t seem to be affecting the right people. It’s not helping anybody,” Stewart said.
— Unrivaled Basketball (@Unrivaledwbb) January 26, 2026
The Unrivaled League itself put out a statement condemning ICE and standing beside the people of Minnesota. “Humanity relies on the ability for everyone to be treated with dignity and respect. No one should fear losing their life while exercising their fundamental constitutional rights, and violence and hate have no place in our communities,” the statement reads.
Several other WNBA players have taken to social media to express their solidarity and condemnation of ICE, including Napheesa Collier, Natisha Hiedeman and the always outspoken Natasha Cloud.
