Dallas Wings draft Paige Bueckers without any

Dallas Wings draft Paige Bueckers with No. 1 pick in 2025 WNBA Draft NEW YORK– 8 days after directing UConn to its very first championship game in 9 years, the Dallas Wings picked Paige Bueckers with the No. 1 choice in Monday’s 2025 WNBA Draft.Bueckers gets in the expert ranks at an essential moment for both Dallas and the WNBA. The Wings are seeking to return to the postseason after missing out on the playoffs last year, and the franchise is planning to move from Arlington into a larger arena in downtown Dallas ahead of the 2026 season.Advertisement After last year’s WNBA season saw record rankings, participation and merchandise sales, the league is looking to build on its favorable momentum this summertime. Bueckers, and the rest of this year’s rookie class, are well-positioned to assist the WNBA grow. “I’m being available in and wishing to give everything I need to that company,” Bueckers said after being drafted.Bueckers was one of the best players in college basketball from the minute she stepped onto the flooring for the Huskies. She made history by becoming the very first freshman female to win the Naismith Gamer of the Year award, and she was named a first-team All-American three times. The redshirt senior left the Huskies having become the program’s all-time leading scorer in NCAA Competition history, and the fastest player in program history to reach 2,000 profession points. Bueckers is already a part of the Huskies of Honor program.Advertisement However it wasn’t until UConn topped South Carolina in the 2025 national championship that Bueckers won her first national title.Despite every forecast indicating Bueckers as the top choice, she said Monday night that she felt thrilled however also had some mixed emotions.”It’s stressful.

You have a level of enjoyment, anxiety,”she said. “Bittersweet sensation knowing that my journey at UConn is over, but delighted for the next one to

begin. “Monday’s draft at The Shed at Hudson Yards marked the 2nd successive year fans attended the occasion face to face. Last year’s draft received record ratings and was offered out by early March.

General admissions tickets for this year’s occasion were also sold out.Advertisement The Wings have actually also sold out their season ticket stock for the 2nd straight season. They announced it in late November, simply days after securing the No. 1 pick.Dallas executives have been open about desiring the 2025 season to be a fundamental

year for the franchise. Last fall, the Wings worked with Curt Miller as basic supervisor and later on worked with previous USC and Connecticut Sun assistant Chris Koclanes as coach.At the draft party at the College Park Center in Arlington, Texas

, Wings general manager Curt Miller called preparing Bueckers”a momentum-building minute. “He said she was “among the most efficient players the college game has actually ever seen.” The Wings traded previous first-team All-WNBA forward Satou Sabally previously this winter, however Bueckers will still couple with four-time All-Star Arike Ogunbowale in the Wings’backcourt. Dallas also retooled their roster, including in 2015’s The majority of Better Player, DiJonai Carrington, via trade. The franchise is still wanting to win its first champion after transferring from Detroit ahead of the 2010 season.Advertisement”We had a very successful free company … and now we’re off to a great start with the draft, “Miller said.Bueckers had been open about the reality that this past college season would be her final try at a title. She remained consistent in her messaging and fulfilled an objective she set out to accomplish. New objectives now await.Upon discovering the Wings had the very first pick in the draft, Miller mentioned that No. 1 picks historically change the

trajectory of franchises. On Monday night, Bueckers didn’t need to wait long to hear her name called.

Now starts the work of helping to rechart the franchise’s future.Van Lith’s choice by the Sky reunites her with Angel Reese. The duo played together at LSU in the 2023-24 season, reaching the Elite Eight.Advertisement The 3rd round developed into a UConn

event. With multiple Huskies teammates at the draft, they had plenty more to cheer about after Bueckers’very first overall choice. The Valkyries selected Kaitlyn Chen with the No. 30 choice, and the Lynx selected Aubrey Griffin with the second-to-last pick.The most noteworthy player who wasn’t taken was TCU’s Sedona Prince.

The 6-7 center had actually remained in college for 7 years and her injury history left some doubts. Accusations of domestic abuse, of which she and her lawyer have actually rejected, also followed her.– The Athletic’s This article originally appeared in The Athletic.Advertisement Dallas Wings, Connecticut Huskies, WNBA, Women’s College Basketball 2025 The Athletic Media Business