NEW YORK — UConn star and newly minted NCAA champion Paige Bueckers was chosen No. 1 by the Dallas Wings within the 2025 WNBA draft on Monday evening.
Bueckers, a three-time first-team All-American from Hopkins, Minnesota, turns into the sixth participant, and first since Breanna Stewart in 2016, to be drafted first total and win a nationwide championship in the identical yr. Bueckers led the Huskies to their first NCAA title in 9 years final Sunday in her closing school sport.
“Dallas I am so excited, a brand new metropolis, a brand new begin,” Bueckers stated. “A contemporary begin, so let’s get it.”
The 2021 nationwide participant of the yr, Bueckers can be the sixth UConn participant to be drafted No. 1, becoming a member of a distinguished group of WNBA superstars that features Sue Hen (2002), Diana Taurasi (2004), Tina Charles (2010), Maya Moore (2011) and Stewart (2016).
Bueckers’ UConn teammates and coach Geno Auriemma had been in attendance on the draft, which was held at The Shed in New York in entrance of lots of of followers. Bueckers choked up when speaking about her former Huskies teammates.
“They imply the whole lot to me. They helped me get by highs and lows,” Bueckers stated.
The choice marks a hopeful change of fortune for the Wings, who went 9-31 final season, missed the playoffs and adjusted coaches. Dallas was rewarded the highest decide in November when it received the draft lottery for the primary time in franchise historical past.
“The addition of Paige is one other big momentum-building second for the Wings franchise and group,” Curt Miller, in his first yr as Wings normal supervisor, stated in an announcement. “Paige is without doubt one of the most effective and adorned gamers now we have seen within the historical past of the collegiate sport. … Tonight is really a particular evening for Paige and the Dallas Wings.”
The Seattle Storm adopted Dallas’ choice by taking 19-year-old French star Dominique Malonga, who grew to become the sixth participant drafted within the high two who didn’t attend college in america. Malonga, a 6-foot-6 middle, has been a professional since she was 15 and is averaging 15.4 factors and 10.3 rebounds for Lyon Asvel Feminin.
The Washington Mystics, with a brand new coach and normal supervisor, then took Notre Dame’s Sonia Citron with the third decide, and USC’s Kiki Iriafen with No. 4. At No. 6, they chose Kentucky’s Georgia Amoore, who averaged 19.6 factors and 6.9 assists this season after transferring from Virginia Tech. She is the one SEC participant over the previous 25 seasons with 600 factors and 200 assists in a season.
The Mystics grew to become the second group in WNBA historical past to make three of the primary six choices of a draft, becoming a member of the 2021 Wings.
At No. 5, the growth Golden State Valkyries made Justė Jocytė of Lithuania the primary draft selection in franchise historical past. Jocytė is the second participant drafted out of Lithuania — and first within the first spherical — becoming a member of Jurgita Streimikyte in 2000.
Even earlier than the addition of Bueckers, the 2025 Wings — headlined by four-time All-Star Arike Ogunbowale — had been already set to function a slew of newcomers. Stars Satou Sabally and Natasha Howard moved on to totally different groups, whereas new coach Chris Koclanes and Miller introduced in DiJonai Carrington, Tyasha Harris, NaLyssa Smith and Myisha Hines-Allen throughout free company.
“It takes a particular particular person to have the ability to navigate the every day pressures and expectations she faces and persistently ship with the gratitude and style that she has,” Koclanes stated of Bueckers. “I stay up for empowering her to be herself and to be a rookie as she begins this subsequent chapter.”
The Wings group, which beforehand performed in Detroit and Tulsa when it was often known as the Shock, has made the postseason in 5 of its 9 seasons since relocating to Dallas in 2016, however superior previous the primary spherical solely as soon as, in 2023.
Now the Wings will look to channel the momentum of drafting Bueckers into supercharging their franchise on and off the courtroom. The group had already introduced a transfer in 2026 from Arlington to Dallas, the place it’ll have a standalone observe facility and play in a bigger and newly renovated enviornment.
Bueckers enters the professionals boasting the highest profession scoring common in UConn historical past (19.8 PPG) on exceptional effectivity (53% from the sphere, 42% from 3, 85% from free throw line), whereas additionally shining as a facilitator. The 6-foot guard overcame a pair of knee accidents, together with an ACL tear that sidelined her your complete 2022-23 marketing campaign, to play the perfect basketball of her profession over the previous two seasons with the Huskies.
Whereas she will be able to play each on and off the ball, a number of WNBA expertise evaluators instructed ESPN they see her as a degree guard long-term within the league. Her pairing with Ogunbowale within the backcourt might quickly emerge as among the finest guard duos within the league.
The primary spherical options 12 picks, with 13 in every of the ultimate two rounds. Six groups haven’t got picks within the opening spherical as New York, Indiana, Minnesota, Phoenix and Atlanta traded away their picks. Las Vegas forfeited its decide following an investigation by the league in 2023 that discovered the franchise violated league guidelines relating to impermissible participant advantages and office insurance policies.
ESPN Analysis and The Related Press contributed to this report.
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