Following a highly successful collegiate career, Paige Bueckers is progressing to the professional level in basketball. The skilled guard from University of Connecticut (UConn) received the honor of being selected first in the 2025 WNBA Draft by the Dallas Wings. This news comes merely a week after Bueckers’ triumphant victory with the Huskies, winning another national championship in her final year.
Bueckers, at 23 years old, was unanimously expected to be the top pick of the draft. She unveiled her decision to join the draft pool amidst the third round of the NCAA tournament. Over her four-year tenure at UConn, Bueckers boasted impressive credentials with an average of 19.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 2.1 steals per game. Furthermore, her accuracy from the three-point line was commendable, achieving a 42% success rate.
The talented Huskies’ guard scaled up her performance during the NCAA competition. She raised her average score to an incredible 24.8 points per game while boosting her three-point shooting record to 48%. Her game reached a pinnacle in a Sweet 16 win against Oklahoma where the guard garnered a personal best of 40 points, 29 of which came in the second half. Stunningly, she secured six out of eight attempted long-range shots.
In the middle of January, Bueckers achieved another landmark in her career by becoming the fastest Huskies player to rack up 2,000 points. She touched this milestone in just 102 games, surpassing the record of Hall of Famer Maya Moore who took 108 games to reach the same mark. Further, she was only the third Husky to achieve the impressive feat of 2,000 points, 400 rebounds, 400 assists, and 200 steals, sharing this prestigious group with Moore and Breanna Stewart.
Despite being with UConn for five years, Bueckers played only four seasons owing to injuries. Two complete campaigns demonstrated her incredible talent. She won the Naismith national player of the year as a freshman but missed out on 19 games in her sophomore season due to a tibia fracture.
Continuing her tryst with injuries, Bueckers had to forgo the entire 2022-23 season on account of an unfortunate ACL tear. A knee sprain led her to miss two games in the following season. Such injuries led to speculation that she might delay her entry into the WNBA.
There was some scuttlebutt suggesting that Bueckers might only play with the 3×3 women’s basketball league, Unrivaled, until a new collective bargaining agreement could be reached between the players association and the WNBA. The speculation was fueled by the fact that she could earn a professional salary while fighting for the best possible terms for her maiden WNBA contract.
In a surprising turn of events, Bueckers consented to a three-year deal with Unrivaled where she would earn more than what her rookie WNBA contract was projected to offer. Unrivaled provides a generous average salary of $222,000 from an $8 million pool to its players. This is a comparison to the WNBA, where the average salary rests at $125,000, with beginners making $78,831 in their rookie season as per the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
Under this lucrative arrangement, Bueckers’ annual salary with Unrivaled would experience a gradual increase, ultimately accumulating to a total of $348,198 over four seasons. The Dallas Wings, who chose Bueckers as their No. 1 pick, earned this privilege in the WNBA Draft Lottery after finishing with the second-lowest record in the league at 9-31.
Looking forward, the Wings receive a major boost from the return of their leading scorer, Arike Ogunbowale, who averaged 22.9 points per game in the previous season. However, the Wings also suffered a loss with Satou Sabally’s decision to transition towards another team, which eventually saw her end up with the Phoenix Mercury.
In a trade deal that eventually involved four teams, the Wings managed to acquire DiJonai Carrington as part of their negotiation for Sabally. With a powerful roster including the newly added No.1 draft pick Bueckers and Carrington, the Dallas Wings are gearing up for an exciting new season.