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The WNBA has started announcing its awards, and the Rookie of the Year was named on Tuesday. Paige Bueckers of the Dallas Wings won, and she did so after averaging 19.2 points, 5.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals.
Bueckers had some big performances throughout the season, and some of those were against the Phoenix Mercury. In the first matchup between the Mercury and the Wings, Bueckers had 35 points. Despite her big game, Phoenix beat them 93-80.
More recently, Bueckers had 24 points in the Wings’ final game of the season. They beat the Mercury 97-76.
The Wings’ rookie joins legendary names like Elena Delle Donne, Maya Moore, Candace Parker and Phoenix’s own Diana Taurasi. Taurasi won the award in 2004, and she averaged 17.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.3 steals.
Taurasi went on to have a legendary career, and helped the Mercury win three championships. She was also a star at UConn, and she helped them win three championships as well.
Bueckers and Taurasi have a few things in common. For starters, they both attended UConn. Then, they were both the first picks of their respective drafts. Now, with Bueckers winning Rookie of the Year, she joins an elite group. This year’s winner joins Breanna Stewart, Parker, Taurasi and Tina Charles as players who won an NCAA championship, were drafted No. 1 and received Rookie of the Year in the same year.
WNBA Players Who Won an NCAA Championship, Were Selected No. 1 Overall, and Earned Rookie of the Year in the Same Year:
Breanna StewartCandace ParkerDiana TaurasiTina CharlesPaige Bueckers 🆕
✨ pic.twitter.com/bm2G8EnuAm
— I talk hoops 🏀 (@trendyhoopstars) September 16, 2025
What makes that fact even more interesting is that four out of five played for UConn. Taurasi played for them from 2000 to 2004, Charles was there from 2006 to 2010 and Stewart was there from 2012 to 2016. Bueckers played with UConn from 2020 to 2025.
Parker played for Tennessee, and she played with them from 2004 to 2008.
As far as Mercury ties, Taurasi played with Phoenix her whole career, and Charles played for them in 2022. However, she ended up playing with the Seattle Storm in the same year.
The Rookie of the Year award is a high honor, and it is just the beginning for some of the league’s top players. Bueckers is in good company, and like Taurasi and others, she may be on the verge of a long, successful WNBA career.
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