Paige Bueckers is taking her talents to Cupertino, as the young basketball icon is set to star in an upcoming feature from Apple.
Paige Bueckers’ fans claimed that their idol needed some help last season. She gained some elite teammates on Wednesday, joining Spike Lee, Martin Scorsese, Sydney Sweeney, and more.
Deadline announced Wednesday that the newly minted WNBA Rookie of the Year is set to star in Jess & Pearl, an upcoming sports drama being developed by Apple Original Films. It is an original idea from the mind of Zahir McGhee, who previously served as a producer and writer for the Shonda Rhimes outputs Scandal and Private Practice, both of which aired on ABC.
“Set in the world of women’s basketball, the film follows two phenoms who forge an extraordinary bond as teammates until fame, competition, and the ruthless business of college athletics threaten to turn their friendship into an epic rivalry,” Justin Kroll’s report on Deadline reads.
Thus continues a busy stretch for Bueckers, whose top freshman honor served as the climax of an event calendar tour.
The Minnesota-born point guard wrapped up her sterling collegiate career at the University of Connecticut on the highest note, guiding the Huskies’ lauded women’s program to their record-extending 12th national championship, amidst countless individual accolades, such as a unanimous All-American nomination and her second Nancy Lieberman Award. That made her the obvious choice to become the top pick in last spring’s WNBA Draft, the honors bestowed by the Dallas Wings.
From WNBA Stardom to the Big Screen
Bueckers recently wrapped her first professional showing with the Wings, living up to the hype and then some to the tune of 19.2 points and 5.4 assists per game to pace all first-year WNBA talents. For her efforts, Bueckers became the seventh UConn alumna to win the league’s Rookie of the Year title, joining the elite company of Diana Taurasi, Tina Charles, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, and Crystal Dangerfield. Bueckers is set to compete in the second season of Collier and Stewart’s domestic three-on-three league Unrivaled when it tips off this winter.
EXCLUSIVE: Fresh off her record-breaking rookie year in the WNBA, Paige Bueckers is now looking to make her leap onto the big screen, as sources tell Deadline that she is attached to star in the sports pic Jess & Pearl.
— Deadline (@DEADLINE) October 29, 2025
Apple Original Films is developing the film which is based… pic.twitter.com/MHljGgFRee
Bueckers’ foray into acting will make her the latest hardwood legend to pursue such an avenue. Notable names in that department include Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Shaquille O’Neal.
Women’s hardwood representation on the big screen includes Taurasi and Nneka Ogwumike, who appeared with James in 2021’s “Space Jam: A New Legacy (the sequel to Jordan’s original team-up with the Looney Tunes), while current Los Angeles Sparks star Kelsey Plum cameoed in “Happy Gilmore 2” on Netflix earlier this year. Bueckers herself recently appeared on the long-running Fox reality series Hell’s Kitchen with UConn teammate Azzi Fudd and coach Geno Auriemma.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
