New York, NY (April 14, 2025) – The Dallas Wings selected University of Connecticut guard Paige Bueckers with the No. 1 overall pick in Monday night’s WNBA Draft 2025 presented by State Farm® which was held at New York City’s The Shed. A highly decorated generational talent, Bueckers led the Huskies to their 12th NCAA Championship just eight days ago.
“We are extremely excited as a franchise to select Paige Bueckers with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft,” said Dallas Wings Executive Vice President and General Manager Curt Miller. “The addition of Paige is another huge momentum-building moment for the Wings franchise and team. Paige is one of the most efficient and decorated players we have seen in the history of the collegiate game. We anticipate her making an immediate impact on the court but also recognize her commitment to give back to the community which aligns with our strong beliefs as an organization. Tonight is truly a special night for Paige and the Dallas Wings.”
A 6-0 guard from Hopkins, Minn., Bueckers wrapped up her five-year stay in Storrs with the program’s highest career scoring average (19.8) while finishing third in total points (2,439). She reached 2,000 career points the fastest in UConn history and set a Husky standard for most points in NCAA Tournament games (477). Other UConn records she set include highest assist-turnover ratio in a season (3.52, 2024-25), tying Maya Moore for fastest to 1,000 points (55 games), the rookie record for assists (168) and most points in an NCAA Tournament game with 40 against Oklahoma in the 2025 Sweet 16. She concluded her UConn career ranked fifth in three-point percentage (.423), field goals made (931) and assists (561).
Efficiency has been a hallmark for Bueckers as she concluded her collegiate playing days in rarified air of 50/40/85 – as she shot over 50 percent from the field, over 40 percent from three and over 85 percent from the free-throw line.
Bueckers is a three-time First Team All-American by the Associated Press (AP), Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA). She is a three-time BIG EAST Player of the Year, the only three-time BIG EAST Tournament Most Outstanding Player in league history, three-time NCAA Tournament Regional Most Outstanding Player and two-time Nancy Lieberman National Point Guard of the Year Award winner.
UConn advanced to the Final Four in each of the four NCAA Tournaments Bueckers played in (2025, 2024, 2022, 2021), making two national championship appearances (2025, 2022) and winning one NCAA title (2025).
“We are thrilled to welcome Paige to the Dallas Wings,” said Head Coach Chris Koclanes. “It takes a special person to be able to navigate the daily pressures and expectations she faces and consistently deliver with the gratitude and grace that she has. I look forward to empowering her to be herself and to be a rookie as she begins this next chapter. We will create a space where Paige and all our players can lead from where they are. Leaning on her experiences at UConn, I believe she can have an immediate impact in helping us cultivate and establish a strong foundation that will lead to success in Dallas for years to come.”
Bueckers’ 2020-21 rookie season was one of the most decorated in NCAA history. She was the first freshman to earn the Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy, AP Player of the Year and USBWA Player of the Year honors. Bueckers led the Huskies in points (20.0), assists (5.8), steals (2.3) and three-point field goal percentage (.464), guiding UConn to its record 13thconsecutive Final Four. In addition to her All-America honors, she swept Player and Freshman of the Year plaudits from espnW and the BIG EAST.
After missing part of the 2021-22 season and the entire 2022-23 campaign due to injuries, Bueckers came back true to form in 2023-24. She averaged a career-best 21.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, while adding 3.8 assists and 2.2 steals per contest, leading UConn to its 23rd Final Four appearance. Included in her 2024 accolades – All-America First Team (AP, WBCA, USBWA), Final Four All-Tournament Team, NCAA Tournament Portland Region 3 Most Outstanding Player, BIG EAST Tournament Most Outstanding Player, BIG EAST Player of the Year and All-BIG EAST First Team. Bueckers became the first Husky since Maya Moore in 2011 to be voted BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors and was a College Sports Communicators (CSC) First Team Academic All-America honoree.
The 2024-25 season was another historic one for Bueckers as she capped her collegiate career by leading the Huskies to their record 12th NCAA Tournament crown. She averaged UConn highs of 19.9 points and 4.6 assists to go along with 4.4 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game. Her 3.52 assist/turnover ratio ranked second nationally, while her field goal percentage (.534) was fifth among all Division I guards. Bueckers shot over 40-percent from three for the third time in her career, finishing with a .419 clip.
Individual honors Bueckers claimed in 2025 include the Wade Trophy, Nancy Lieberman Award, All-America First Team (AP, WBCA, USBWA), Final Four All-Tournament Team, NCAA Tournament Spokane Region 4 Most Outstanding Player, BIG EAST Tournament Most Outstanding Player, BIG EAST Player of the Year and All-BIG EAST First Team.
Bueckers graduated from UConn in May 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in human development & family sciences and has since been pursuing a master’s degree.
Prior to stepping foot in Storrs, Bueckers was already a phenom with accolades spanning both international play with USA Basketball and her high school career at Hopkins. The nation’s No. 1 ranked recruit was the 2019-20 Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year, 2020 McDonald’s, SLAM and Jordan Brand Classic All-American, 2020 Naismith Prep Player of the Year, 2020 Morgan Wootten Player of the Year and three-time Gatorade Minnesota Player of the Year. She averaged 21.0 points, 9.2 assists, 5.2 steals and 5.1 rebounds per game as a senior, leading Hopkins to a 30-0 record and the Class AAAA state championship game, which was canceled due to coronavirus.
With USA Basketball, Bueckers was the 2019 USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year and 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup MVP. She won gold at the 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup, 2018 Youth Olympic Games, 2018 FIBA U17 World Cup and 2017 FIBA Americas U16 Championship. Additionally, she won tournament titles at 2018 Latvia U17 International Invitational, 2018 Spokane Hoopfest (3×3) and 2018 USA Basketball 3×3 National Championship.
On top of her athletic and academic merits, Bueckers is renowned for being equally as dedicated to positively impacting the community. She was recently named to the inaugural Allstate NACDA Good Works Team which recognizes student-athletes for their exceptional achievements in community service, athletics and academics. Bueckers has provided support to tackling food insecurity and expanding youth sports access in both Connecticut and Minnesota. She has included charity and community engagement in her Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) opportunities, and has volunteered with the Husky Harvest food pantry, Special Olympics, Team Impact, Connecticut Children’s Hospital and Make a Wish.
Bueckers becomes the sixth UConn player to be selected No. 1 overall in the WNBA Draft and first since the Seattle Storm tapped Breanna Stewart first in 2016. Dallas won the Draft Lottery this past November to secure the opportunity to select Bueckers on Monday night.
