UConn star Paige Bueckers to enter 2025 WNBA Draft after NCAA Tournament
By Ben Pickman, Jelani Scott and Chantel Jennings
Connecticut star Paige Bueckers, long considered the presumptive No. 1 pick in next month's WNBA Draft, will indeed enter the draft after the NCAA Tournament, a program spokesperson said Friday.
Bueckers, 23, is in her fifth season at UConn but has one year of college eligibility remaining. ESPN commentator Rebecca Lobo first reported the news.
Advertisement
The news comes as Bueckers and the No. 2 Huskies prepare to play No. 3 Oklahoma in the Sweet 16 on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET in Birmingham, Ala. The winner will play Sunday against either top-seeded USC or No. 5 Kansas State.
Bueckers had been open about the fact that this would be her final season in the college. 'This is my last year to get what I came here for, which is a national championship,' she told The Athletic in June.
In the waning weeks of this season, she has remained consistent in her messaging. Earlier this week, the Huskies, and their fans, celebrated Bueckers after their final game at Gampel Pavilion — a 91-57 win over South Dakota State in which Bueckers tied her career high with 34 points.
'It's been a dream to play here, a dream to wear this uniform, a dream to play in this environment,' she told the crowd. 'As much more times you want this to continue to happen, you just take every single chance you have and never take it for granted.'
The Dallas Wings hold the No. 1 pick in the draft, which will take place April 14, eight days after the women's NCAA Tournament final.
In theory, Bueckers had an unprecedented amount of leverage. She could have returned to UConn for a sixth season due to COVID-19 eligibility rules. She's also an equity partner in Unrivaled. Although she could still use her profile to try to land with a preferred destination, she has given no public indication that she wouldn't want to play for the Wings. How she prepares for what's next in her career is the question worth watching, not necessarily whether she will turn pro.
For now, Bueckers is still looking to win her first national championship with the Huskies (33-3), who have won 12 consecutive games.
Bueckers' play in her final season in Storrs has only added to the likelihood she will go No. 1. The 2021 Associated Press Player of the Year and a three-time first-team All-American, Bueckers has averaged 19.2 points and 4.8 assists per game while shooting 41.1 percent from 3-point range. She has also stayed healthy for the second consecutive season after knee injuries limited her to 17 games total in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
While some executives have raised concerns about if she can stay healthy, she is regarded highly among league decision makers.
'Great leader. She's incredibly poised. She's prepared, pro-ready and so impressive, on and off the court. A franchise foundational player,' one general manager who was granted anonymity to share their candid opinion of the upcoming draft class told The Athletic.
Advertisement
Said another: 'If she can stay healthy, I think she's an All-Star level talent. She can play with or without the ball which makes her super valuable. She scores at all three levels. She's big and tall and long enough to survive defensively. I think her offense is better than her defense, but it's hard to find things not to like about Paige.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Texas Longhorns add five-star kicker to 2026 class
Texas Longhorns add five-star kicker to 2026 class The Longhorns kicking game got a major boost on Sunday The Texas Longhorns have made another significant addition to their 2026 class. On Sunday, they got a commitment from five-star kicker Jake Collett. The Georgia native is the tenth player to join the Longhorns 2026 class. He chose the Longhorns over various programs, including UConn and Army. Over the last few years, Collett has made headlines with his leg. In Kohl Kicking's rankings, he ranked as the No. 2 overall kicker and No. 60 punter in his class. The newest Longhorn set himself apart at the 2025 Midwest Showcase Camp, where he showed off his range of up to 65 yards. " Collett had his best showing to date at the 2025 Midwest Showcase Camp," Kohl's scouting report said. "He was dominant throughout the drill work and competitions. He won the kickoff competition and had a couple of kickoffs go 75-80 yards with 4.3 seconds of hang time. Collett also showed consistent field goal range out to 65 yards away at camp." Collett joins a 2026 class that is full of talent. It also includes five-stars like quarterback Dia Bell, long snapper Trott O'Neal, and athlete Jermaine Bishop Jr., four-star defensive lineman Dylan Berymon, and three-star talents like wide receiver Chris Stewart, offensive lineman Nicolas Robertson, and safety Yaheim Riley. That group could continue growing with plenty of talent left on the board. With Collett now officially in the mix, excitement is building over what his future holds. If he can meet expectations, his career in Austin will be full of unforgettable kicks. Texas begins its regular season against the Ohio State Buckeyes on Aug. 30. That is a game Collett and many of his future teammates will be watching closely.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Nets projected to take F Drake Powell 27th overall in 2025 NBA Draft
Nets projected to take F Drake Powell 27th overall in 2025 NBA Draft The Brooklyn Nets have five picks to use in the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft, including four in the first round of what could be a class full of talent. Brooklyn may be trying to pull off a deal or two to lessen the load on player development, but until then, there are players that they can take at each spot, including a player from North Carolina with some upside. "Teams figure to put extra stock into Drake Powell's NBA combine performance and workouts after he spent the year spotting up on 49.2 percent of North Carolina's possessions and taking just 5.7 shots per game," Jonathan Wasserman wrote in his most recent mock draft for Bleacher Report. Wasserman has the Nets taking Powell with the 27th overall pick in the Draft, the pick they received from the Houston Rockets. "Despite the lack of production, there could still be first-round interest based on his outstanding physical profile, defensive projection and 37.9 percent three-point shooting," Wasserman continued. Following the conclusion of the 2024-25 college basketball season, Powell was projected to be a second-round pick after what he showed at North Carolina which wasn't much when just looking at his stats. Powell, 19, averaged 7.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game while shooting 48.3% from the field and 37.9% from three-point land in 37 appearances. Powell was an integral part of a Tarheels team that finished with a 23-14 record, allowing them to make the NCAA Tournament where they made it past the First Four before losing in the first round to Ole Miss. While Powell did not put forth much in terms of statistics to show that he would be a prospect with high upside, his performance at the NBA Draft Combine showed scouts differently, as Wasserman alluded to. Powell, who Wasserman compares to New Orleans Pelicans forward Herb Jones, displayed his athletic ability that gave many the impression that he could be an elite defender and shooter on the wing in the right situation.
New York Times
4 hours ago
- New York Times
Sublime Stanley Cup Final rolls on tonight. Plus: PWHL expansion draft anticipation
Red Light newsletter 🏒 | This is The Athletic's hockey newsletter. Sign up here to receive Red Light directly in your inbox. Good morning to everyone except front offices that say 'as per team policy, terms were not disclosed' when they make transactions. It's game night, let's get into it. … you didn't miss any hockey. The weekend delivered our first three-day break of the Stanley Cup Final. We'll get another before Game 4, and again before Games 6 and 7 (if necessary). Weirdly, the only two-day break left on the schedule is between Games 4 and 5, which have travel in between. Edmonton is close to Sunrise, right? Advertisement The good news is that the extra night off gave everyone one more day to get rested and healthy for a crucial Game 3 … The series shifts to Florida, tied 1-1 after the Panthers' Friday night win. We've got a lot of moving parts here. In fact, let's break out the bullet points: Game 3 is tonight at 8 p.m. ET on TNT, truTV, Max and Sportsnet. I think it has been. If we're just going based on the first two games of every Stanley Cup Final since 2005, this one is at least on the podium, if not taking home gold. That's partly because it's been a legitimately great start, with a pair of overtime games, plenty of offense and multiple highlight-reel plays. It's also because the bar is kind of low. In fact, this is only the sixth time in the cap era that a Stanley Cup Final has been split 1-1 after two games. The other 14 series all saw a team take a 2-0 lead. Of the five previous splits, three — the finals in 2015, 2018 and 2020 — didn't feature any overtime at all. We did get one overtime in 2019, when the Bruins won Game 1 in regulation only to have the Blues come back with an OT win to square the series in Game 2. But with all due respect to those Gloria-infused days, the only final whose start really compares to this one was in 2013, when the Blackhawks and Bruins served up a triple-OT classic in the opener that was won by Chicago, followed by a Boston win midway through the first extra period in Game 2. That series ended up being one of the better finals in recent memory, featuring an additional overtime in Game 4 and the 17-seconds game in Game 6. It didn't go seven games, though, which I think we can all agree would be unacceptable for the Oilers and Panthers. For now, at least, we can't complain. If this hasn't been the best two-game start to a final in the cap era, it's been awfully close. 🚨 The only thing weirder than an NHL goalie is a third-string NHL goalie. Peter Baugh had a fun piece on some of the guys who held that role for championship teams, and the weird thing that connects many of them during the Cup handoff. 🐀 Speaking of weird connections, Michael Russo found one between veterans Corey Perry and Brad Marchand. Advertisement 🥅 We can enjoy the final, but let's not forget how we got here. I've got you covered with a ranking of the 14 series that led us to this one. 👶 The NHL Scouting Combine has wrapped up, meaning your favorite team now has a good idea of which player it will claim to be shocked was still available when their pick came up. Eric Stephens has more on the week and how much the draft process has changed over the years. 🍁 And finally, be sure to check out this slick YouTube video in which we try to explain the Canadian Cup drought. Come for the high-quality content, stay for the nagging feeling that you didn't think my voice would sound like that. It's expansion draft night in the PWHL. We covered some of the basics in the last edition of Red Light, but a lot has changed since then. New homes for superstars such as Sarah Nurse and Hilary Knight are taking the spotlight, but you can track all of the moves right here. With the draft set for 8:30 p.m. ET tonight (we'll have live coverage), I asked Hailey Salvian to check in with an update. Sean: As someone who follows the PWHL but doesn't know all the ins and outs, the last few days have seemed stunning to me. Are league insiders surprised too, or is this more a case where casual fans just have to play some catch up? Hailey: Honestly, the whole process has been pretty wild. When you see the rules — specifically that teams could initially protect only three players — you know that stars are going to be on the move. But its one thing to understand that and another to see players like Knight, Nurse and Alex Carpenter left unprotected by their respective teams. Not protecting Carpenter, who ranks third all-time in league scoring, might have been the only real surprise to me over the last few weeks. Because as baffling as it is to leave Nurse or Knight unprotected, you can at least understand why teams might have made those decisions. Advertisement In terms of who signed and where, nothing was too surprising. I figured the general managers in Seattle and Vancouver would want to use their five signing slots on top players who were left unprotected, rather than negotiate with free agents who might still be available later this summer. And for the unprotected players, its reasonable that they'd want to dictate where they go, rather than take their chances in the draft. If you're a casual fan who feels overwhelmed, don't feel bad. It's been a whirlwind for literally everyone involved, from die-hard fans to players, agents and your local Athletic PWHL writers. Sean: What should we be expecting tonight, and are there any realistic options that could add to the surprise factor? Hailey: Without knowing the draft order (which the league won't be revealing until the broadcast starts) it's hard to project exactly what might happen. My safe assumption is that once the top remaining players (like 2024 fourth-overall pick Hannah Bilka) are off the board, both general managers will look for the best players at the best price — rather than just grabbing the top scorers or most recognizable names. Vancouver and Seattle will need to keep the salary cap — which will go up to $1.34 million next season — in mind and won't want to spend too much on 12 players out of what will need to be a 23-player roster. Each GM would do well to keep some money earmarked for free agency, where top players such as Natalie Spooner, Tereza Vanišová and Jesse Compher might be available, and the entry draft, with some top young talent incoming. There will surely be some off-the-board picks, but I don't expect any extra fireworks from side trades or truly wild selections. Sean: When the dust finally settles, are Vancouver and Seattle going to be contenders right away? Hailey: It's hard to imagine Seattle and Vancouver coming out of the draft without having legit playoff-caliber rosters. If either team is bad next season, that would likely be due to user error. The rules have been set up for these teams to contend on day one. Last time around, I wondered about the USA/Canada divide in this Stanley Cup Final, especially with everything that's happened between the two nations both on and off the ice in recent months. I wasn't sure whether that would impact allegiances, and so I asked Red Light readers what they thought. Well, the results are in, and … well, there's a bit of patriotism playing out, but you have to squint to see it. Up north, we're all-but-unanimous in backing the Oilers, and 60 percent of the Edmonton bandwagon says it's because they're Canadian. That's a majority, but not as much as you might expect given how much the 'bring Stanley home' message has been beaten into the ground up here. As for you Americans, you barely seem to have noticed the cross-country stakes at all. What you have noticed is that the Panthers are a bunch of dirtbags, with the overwhelming majority of you saying that you're rooting for Edmonton. I wasn't expecting that, but I can only assume it's because your entire country has fallen in love with Oilers legend Dwayne Jetski. After a string of admittedly tough questions, today I gave you one where the answer was staring you in the face. The record for most final appearances without a Conn Smythe win is held by the Florida Panthers, who are currently in the final for the fourth time in history but have never had a player win playoff MVP honors. (They lost the final in 1996 and 2023 and then won the Cup last year, but Connor McDavid was the rare case of a player on the losing team getting the Conn Smythe.) Advertisement Of course, we don't know who'll win the MVP honors this year — Sam Bennett has a sneaky good chance if the Panthers win — so maybe you don't want to count the 2025 final just yet. If that's the case, it knocks the Panthers down to three appearances. That would tie them with the Vancouver Canucks, who went to the final in 1982, 1994 and 2011, only to see their opponent skate off with the Cup — and the Conn Smythe. 📫 Love Red Light? Check out The Athletic's other newsletters.
