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The 2025 WNBA Draft takes place next Monday, April 14. This means UConn star Paige Bueckers will not have much time to revel in national championship glory before her professional journey begins.
Of course, the quick turnaround from college to the pros is standard when it comes to the WNBA. However, it can seem even more drastic when a high-profile star competes in the national championship. Fans saw a similar scenario play out with last year’s No. 1 pick Caitlin Clark, who went from coming up short against South Carolina in the title game with Iowa to taking the world by storm with the Indiana Fever in short order.
Bueckers is now tasked with the same not unique, but still difficult challenge, given she is the overwhelming favorite to be the first pick in the upcoming draft by the Dallas Wings. Here’s a look at how the whirlwind timeline will unfold for the UConn champion.
April 7, Championship Rally: Bueckers will deservedly celebrate championship glory with her Huskies teammates. UConn has scheduled a welcome home rally for the squad on Monday, and parade details are sure to follow.
WELCOME THE CHAMPIONS HOME 🏆
UConn students can claim at https://t.co/yKZQ6J6cYl. Fans can claim at https://t.co/GKYlmfMQ9x 🎟️ pic.twitter.com/CG73hQBdho
— UConn Huskies (@UConnHuskies) April 7, 2025
April 14, 2025 WNBA Draft: Bueckers will enter the WNBA a week from today. The expectation is that she will be selected by Dallas, but her professional destination will be made official soon. This will lead to a different cause for celebration.
April 27, WNBA Training Camp: Not only will Bueckers be drafted shortly, but she will be with her WNBA teammates in a matter of weeks. Meaning if she is indeed selected by Dallas, Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale will be on the floor together before May.
I woke up feeling like a traitor cause I was really clapping when a certain team scored??? 😭☘️ anyway, go wings lol. can’t wait for the draft. @DallasWings yall know what to do ❗️
— Arike Ogunbowale (@Arike_O) April 7, 2025
May 2, WNBA preseason: Based on the assumption that Bueckers is taken by the Wings, her preseason debut will be against the Las Vegas Aces on May 2. Regardless, her first official WNBA action will be at the beginning of next month.
May 16, WNBA regular season: The 2025 WNBA season tips off on May 16. The Wings happen to host the Minnesota Lynx on that date, so if Bueckers is in Dallas, she will be thrown right into the fire against Napheesa Collier and company.
Again, what Bueckers is about to experience certainly isn’t unprecedented. But that doesn’t make it any less of a whirlwind, as fans will have a chance to see what the UConn legend can do at the WNBA level very soon.
