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Dallas Wings rookie guard Paige Bueckers is reflecting on her first season in the WNBA, where she won Rookie of the Year honors.
Bueckers, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, received the honor on an appearance in the Jennifer Hudson Show. Bueckers spoke to Dallas Hoops Journal insider Grant Afseth about her winning the award and her season with the Wings.
“It was really cool to be on The J Hudson Show, to do it in the Spirit Walk, and to have that surprise element,” Bueckers said via Afseth.
“I was really grateful for the whole experience. It means so much to me in terms of what my teammates were to me, what my coaching staff was to me, and how the city and Dallas organization embraced me and helped me be my most confident self. It was really a team award.”
READ MORE: The one reason Candace Parker can’t place Paige Bueckers on All-WNBA First Team
Bueckers, who turns 24 next month, averaged 19.2 points, 5.4 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game with the Wings in her rookie season. Her stats laid a good foundation for her career with the Wings.
While Dallas won just 10 games in Bueckers’ rookie season, her play made it clear that she needs to be the player the Wings build around for the future. Only Los Angeles Sparks point guard Kelsey Plum, Indiana Fever shooting guard Kelsey Mitchell, Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier and Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson averaged more points per game than Bueckers this season.
If the Wings can get a few more players around Bueckers that complement her and she can continue to grow as a point guard herself, Dallas could be back in the playoff hunt and into the contender conversation in a couple of years from now. That should keep the organization excited for what’s to come.
READ MORE: Paige Bueckers joins icons in WNBA history after winning Rookie of the Year
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