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Nobody gave much thought to the Dallas Wings getting the No. 1 pick in the draft lottery, even though they had a combined 45.4% chance. Paige Bueckers would end up in Los Angeles with the Sparks, right? Nope.
Los Angeles instead left the draft lottery with the No. 2 pick, behind Dallas. The Sparks have since traded the second pick to the Storm as part of the Kelsey Plum-Jewell Loyd deal. The Wings will be the team to call Bueckers’ name with the No. 2 pick in New York City on April 14 (barring unforeseen circumstances), even though there was speculation that the guard might not want to play in Dallas.
To be clear, Bueckers never said anything about not playing for the Wings, but rumors were flying around that she’d stay in Connecticut, go to Unrivaled, or pull an Eli Manning. Bueckers is in her fifth season at UConn and has one year of eligibility. The 23-year-old could’ve returned to Storrs for another season, but decided to make the jump to the WNBA.
Bueckers dropped 34 points in her final game in Storrs last week in the Huskies’ second-round win over South Dakota State. She stood on the court after the game and thanked fans for the past five years:
“I have had the time of my life here,” she told them. “It has been the five years I have dreamt of since I was a kid. I can’t thank you enough. We can’t thank you enough for all your support. Thank you for making this a second home. The best supporters in the country. Thank you for everything.”
Paige Bueckers thought it was obvious she was going to the WNBA
So, yes, most people knew Bueckers was leaving UConn at the end of the season. On Friday, ESPN’s Rebecca Lobo left no doubt, reporting that Bueckers confirmed she’d enter the 2025 draft.
Paige Bueckers confirmed to us today that she will enter the 2025 @WNBA Draft. (Some had suggested she would not declare, play in Unrivaled, and then declare in 2026.)
— Rebecca Lobo (@RebeccaLobo) March 28, 2025
On Sunday, Bueckers was asked about officially declaring for the draft. In true Paige Bueckers fashion, she said she thought she had already done so.
Paige Bueckers on declaring for the WNBA draft this past week: “Honestly I thought I declared that a long time ago.”
— Avery Becker (@averyybecker) March 30, 2025
To be fair, she hadn’t previously said anything about staying at Connecticut for another season. Last June, she told The Athletic (subscription required) that it was her “last year to get what I came for, which is a national championship.”
Bueckers and the Huskies took another step in that direction on Saturday with an 82-59 win over the Sooners in the Sweet Sixteen. The star guard dropped a career-high 40 points. Connecticut will face USC on Monday in the Elite Eight with a trip to the Final Four on the line.
In two short weeks, there is a 99.9% chance Bueckers will hear her name called as the No. 1 pick. If she has it her way, she’ll be fresh off an NCAA championship.
