Paige Bueckers did not hesitate when asked about what is unfolding back home. Competing hundreds of miles away in Miami with Unrivaled, Bueckers said the situation has weighed heavily on her, not as a distant headline but as something deeply personal.
As fear grows across Minneapolis following increased federal enforcement activity and the deaths of two civilians, the Minnesota native has chosen to speak plainly about the toll it has taken on families and communities she knows well.
Minneapolis has been shaken in recent weeks by heightened Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity and by the killings of ICU nurse Alex Pretti and Renee Good within the space of a month.
The incidents have intensified anxiety across the city, leaving many residents fearful to leave their homes, go to work or send their children to school. Protests have followed, driven by anger, grief and a sense that daily life has been disrupted in a way that feels impossible to ignore.
For Paige Bueckers, the events hit close to home. She grew up in Hopkins, less than ten miles from downtown Minneapolis, and still identifies strongly with the city and its people.
“Innocent lives are being taken; innocent families are being broken apart,” Bueckers said. “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. What’s going on is not OK, and at some point – we feel like, and we hope and we pray, that there’s a change in direction in where this is heading.”
She also spoke with pride about how Minnesotans have responded, pointing to a collective effort to stay connected during a deeply unsettling period.
“I’m very proud to be from Minnesota, and to see the community come together and show strength and unity and try to do everything possible to stay together through this really tough time,” she added. “That’s kind of what Minnesota is all about. So it’s tough, just being from there and not being able to go there and help and [have] feet on land, but you try to do everything from afar to support.”
Finding ways to support from a distance
That distance has been one of the hardest parts for Bueckers to process. She acknowledged that if she were not currently playing in Unrivaled, she would have joined protests in Minneapolis herself. Instead, she looked for another way to show up for her community while continuing her professional commitments.
After leading the league in free throw percentage through the first five games, Bueckers chose to donate the 50.000 dollar prize money she earned to support those affected by the crisis.
The decision was not framed as symbolic but practical, an attempt to offer tangible help at a moment when many families are struggling emotionally and financially.
Her action has resonated beyond basketball circles. While she is among the most recognisable athletes to speak out, she is not the only one.
Other players and public figures with ties to Minnesota have also raised concerns, adding their voices to a growing chorus calling attention to the human cost of what is happening.
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