Storrs, Connecticut - Even with a tough start on the court, UConn star Paige Bueckers is bouncing back and spreading holiday cheer off the hardwood, using her Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL).

In the hustle of classes, practices, and games, college athletes need their fuel to keep the momentum going.

Now in its third NIL season, Dunkin' is proudly backing a dynamic group of 17 student-athletes across six sports, building strong connections with universities nationwide through their latest Team Dunkin' lineup.

Leading the pack this season is UConn hoops superstar Paige Bueckers.

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Together with Dunkin', Bueckers is making a splash by donating a whopping $25,000 to UConn's Husky Harvest food pantries.

This initiative, in partnership with Connecticut Foodshare, aims to tackle food insecurity and ensure that the university community stays energized and well-fed.

"I’m honored to be partnering with Dunkin’ to connect with fans and to support our communities through a brand we all know and love," Bueckers said in a statement.

In this slam Dunkin' collaboration, Bueckers has hoops fans just as excited as they are for her games, showering the star with support for her donations.

Last week, then No. 2 UConn stunned the basketball world with a 92-81 loss on the road to NC State.

But after scoring an impressive 27 points in 31 minutes, Bueckers shared in a post-game press conference that there is much soul-searching and leadership work that needs to be done to recover from the loss.

"It has to start with us. It has to start with me. Really, it’s just the will to want to defend and keep guys in front of us and make sure if somebody does get beat, we have their back. Just like they would have ours," she told reporters.

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On Thursday, the Huskies face a challenging matchup against No. 20 Maryland at home.

Bueckers' is determined to lead and improve the team's defensive efforts, which will be crucial if they seek to bounce back from the rough loss to NC State.

"Defense is a will," Bueckers added. "You have to want to do it. You have to embrace that. You can have slow feet but if you have a big heart, that makes up for it. We have the ability to change that and be better at practice and demand it out of ourselves first."

UConn will host Maryland on Thursday at 6:30PM ET airing on Fox Sports 1.