Ranking top 10 players in women's college basketball ahead of March Madness
Ranking top 10 players in women's college basketball ahead of March Madness
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Kiki Rice reflects on being a female athlete and the growing popularity of women's sports
Kiki Rice reflects on women's sports as a whole, what it mean's to be a female basketball player, and how she expects it to grow in the future.
Sports Seriously
March Madness is rapidly approaching and the women's field is wide open.
No. 1 Texas, No. 2 USC, No. 3 UConn, No. 4 UCLA, No. 5 South Carolina and No. 6 Notre Dame have emerged as top contenders for the NCAA Tournament title, but there isn't a clear favorite. USC has wins over UCLA and UConn, but lost to Notre Dame. UConn dropped matchups against Notre Dame and USC, but blew out South Carolina. South Carolina also had losses against UCLA, but split the regular-season series against Texas. Texas also dropped a game against Notre Dame. You get the picture — it's anyone's game.
The NCAA Tournament championship is going to come down to stellar performances from the best players on the court. Who are those players?
Here are the top 10 players in women's college basketball with March Madness weeks away:
MARCH MADNESS: Women's bracket predictions, seeding for who gets in women's NCAA Tournament
The best players in women's college basketball
All stats entering play Wednesday.
10. Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt
2024-25 stats: 23.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.1 APG, 2.5 SPG, 46.4 FG%, 35 3PT% (30 games)
The freshman guard etched her name in the history books when she broke the NCAA freshman single-game scoring record with 53 points in Vanderbilt's 99-86 win over Florida on Jan. 3. She broke the record again with a career-high 55 points in the Commodores' 98–88 overtime win over Auburn in February. Blakes was named the SEC's Freshman of the Year and was named a finalist for the Naismith Hall of Fame's Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, given to the nation's top shooting guard.
9. Georgia Amoore, Kentucky
2024-25 stats: 18.8 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 6.9 APG, 42.4 FG%, 32.2 3PT% (28 games)
New division, no problem. Amoore followed former Virginia Tech head coach Kenny Brooks to Kentucky and the move proved beneficial for Amoore. The 5-foot-6 guard scored in double digits in all but one game this season and leads the SEC in assists per game (6.9). Amoore, who is third in the nation with 192 total assists on the season, is 18 assists away from setting a new single-season record at Kentucky. She was rightfully named the SEC's Newcomer of the Year.
8. Ta'Niya Latson, Florida State
2024-25 stats: 25.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 4.7 APG, 2.2 SPG, 45.8 FG%, 35.5 3PT% (26 games)
Latson is the top scorer in the nation at 25.4 points per game and is a key piece to the Seminoles having the highest-scoring offense in the country (88.2 ppg). Latson has recorded at least 20 points in 23 of 26 games this season. She had six 30-point games this year and a career-high 40-point performance against Virginia Tech on Jan. 2. Latson became the fastest player in Florida State basketball history to score 2,000 points this season and picked up her third All-ACC First Team selection. She's also a finalist for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award.
7. Aneesah Morrow, LSU
2024-25 stats: 18.2 PPG, 14 RPG, 1.4 APG, 2.5 SPG, 48.5 FG%, 27.6 3PT% (30 games)
Angel Reese's departure from LSU left Barbie-sized shoes to fill in Baton Rouge. Morrow has stepped up to the plate. The 6-foot-1 forward is a double-double machine who leads the nation in rebounds per game (14) and double-doubles (26). Morrow is LSU's second-leading scorer, behind guard Flau'Jae Johnson (18.9 ppg). The Tigers are looking to rebound after dropping their final two games of the regular season to Alabama and Ole Miss, marking the team's first back-to-back losses of the season.
6. Madison Booker, Texas
2024-25 stats: 16 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.6 SPG, 46.4 FG%, 41.7 3PT% (30 games)
Texas earned the No. 1 ranking in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, in large part thanks to Booker's sophomore campaign. The 6-foot-1 forward recorded 20 or more points in 11 games this season and increased her efficiency from the 3-point line, improving from 30.6% beyond the arc to 41.7% this season. Texas may have lost the No. 1 seed in the SEC tournament to South Carolina by way of a coin toss, but the Longhorns head into the postseason with lots of momentum after six straight wins against ranked opponents, including South Carolina, LSU and Kentucky. Booker averaged 21.5 points per game during that span and was named the SEC's Player of the Year. The Longhorns will be looking to improve on their Elite Eight finish last year.
5. Lauren Betts, UCLA
2024-25 stats: 19.7 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 2.7 APG, 2.8 BPG, 62.4 FG% (26 games)
The 6-foot-7 center is a dominant force in the paint and was unanimously named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year after setting UCLA's single-season blocks record (73). She also broke the university's single-game blocks record with nine blocked shots in UCLA's win over Baylor on Jan. 20. Betts is averaging a career-high 2.8 blocks per game, the most in the conference, and her 9.9 rebounds per game marks a career-high. She had 16 double-doubles this season. UCLA ended the season with a disappointing 80-67 loss to USC, where Betts was held to 11 points and 11 rebounds on her home court, but the Bruins will attempt to shake off the thumping and make it further than their Sweet 16 finish in last year's NCAA Tournament.
4. Olivia Miles, Notre Dame
2024-25 stats: 16.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 5.9 APG, 50.9 FG%, 41.6 3PT% (29 games)
Miles missed the entire 2023-24 season due to a knee injury, but made a statement in her first game back with a 20-point, 10-rebound and 10-assist triple-double to open the season on Nov. 4. She became the first player in ACC history to record back-to-back triple-doubles a month later against Loyola and Virginia. Miles' three triple-doubles lead the nation. The floor general also leads the ACC in assists per game (5.9). Notre Dame stumbled to the finish line, dropping back-to-back games to NC State and Florida State in late February, but expect Miles to dazzle in her first NCAA Tournament since 2023.
3. Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame
2024-25 stats: 24.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 3.8 APG, 3.7 SPG, 46.4 FG%, 40.1 3PT% (27 games)
Notre Dame's backcourt has been the best in women's basketball all season long, so you can't have Miles on the list of best players without also having her partner-in-crime. Hidalgo is the third-leading scorer in the nation at 24.2 points per game and ranks fourth in the country in steals (3.7 per game). Hidalgo was named the ACC's Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year (for the second consecutive season), becoming only the third player in ACC history to win both in the same season.
2. Paige Bueckers, UConn
2024-25 stats: 18.6 PPG, 5.0 APG, 4.5 RPG, 53.4 FG%, 40.8 3PT% (29 games)
The 2025 WNBA draft isn't called the Paige Bueckers sweepstakes for nothing. Bueckers burst onto the scene in 2021 with a breakout freshman campaign that earned her AP Player of the Year and Naismith College Player of the Year honors. Although a string of injuries forced Bueckers to miss significant time, including the entire 2022-23 season with an ACL tear, the fifth-year senior guard has returned to form and is looking to lead the Huskies to the Final Four for the fourth time in her career. Bueckers is currently UConn women's basketball's sixth all-time leading scorer with 2,223 points and is widely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick of the draft.
1. JuJu Watkins, USC
2024-25 stats: 24.4 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 3.6 APG, 42.9 FG%, 33.9 3PT% (28 games)
Watkins cemented herself as the best player in women's college basketball with a dominant 30-point performance in USC's 80-67 win over rival UCLA to claim the regular-season title and No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Conference tournament. She went on to be named Big Ten Player of the Year for good reason. Watkins became the fastest USC player to reach 1,000 career points (38 games) in November and has the Trojans primed for a run at the national championship after winning eight straight games against ranked opponents, including UConn, UCLA and Maryland. Did we mention she's only a sophomore?
Honorable Mentions
LSU G Flau'Jae Johnson: 18.9 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 2.4 APG, 46.5 FG%, 37.2 3PT% (30 games)
18.9 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 2.4 APG, 46.5 FG%, 37.2 3PT% (30 games) TCU C Sedona Prince : 17.6 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 2.3 APG, 3.1 BPG, 59.2 FG% (30 games)
: 17.6 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 2.3 APG, 3.1 BPG, 59.2 FG% (30 games) South Carolina G Te-Hina Paopao: 10.2 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 3.0 APG, 45.7 FG%, 38.2 3PT% (30 games)
10.2 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 3.0 APG, 45.7 FG%, 38.2 3PT% (30 games) Kansas State G Serena Sundell: 13.5 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 7.1 APG, 48.8 FG%, 29.7 3PT% (31 games)
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New York Times
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Cheers greeted the Memphis men's basketball team as it emerged from an Airbus A320 on the night of March 16. The plane had carried the team from Fort Worth, Texas, to Memphis International Airport, and the flight home was a joyous one. The 16th-ranked Tigers were American Athletic Conference tournament champions and NCAA Tournament-bound. The trophy, topped by a large silver basketball, was buckled into a seat next to head coach Penny Hardaway. Advertisement On the tarmac, cameras flashed. Hardaway gave well-wishers a thumbs-up. Players high-fived fans. Less than 12 hours later, the same Airbus A320 – tail number N281GX – flew from El Paso, Texas, to Tapachula, Mexico. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) flight transported 105 men, seven women and one child. Handcuffs, leg irons, and a waist chain likely restrained most adults' wrists and ankles. Guards monitored the cabin. After landing in Tapachula, the sullen passengers filed off the plane, met by Mexican authorities in safety vests. Both flights were operated by Global Crossing Airlines, commonly referred to as GlobalX, a charter company based in Miami. In the last eight months, the company has transported athletic teams from Arkansas, Kentucky, Houston, Kansas, Marquette, Memphis, Miami, North Carolina and St. John's, among others. During March Madness, GlobalX planes carried the Duke men back from the Final Four and the UConn women home after winning the national title. GlobalX also has ferried professional teams, including Inter Miami CF and its star, Lionel Messi. At the same time, GlobalX has operated more than half of ICE deportation flights. The airline regularly shuttles deportees to Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and elsewhere, sometimes on the same planes that only hours or days earlier carried sports teams. The Trump administration's controversial March 15 deportation of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia and more than 200 others to El Salvador involved three GlobalX planes. Two of them carried college basketball teams in the weeks prior. 'When you get asked to do an NCAA flight, you feel lighter,' said a former GlobalX pilot who spoke on the condition he not be identified. 'If your team wins, you get the honor of transporting the winning team. It's just a feeling of accomplishment. For me doing an ICE flight, I don't want to be dramatic and say it's like a death sentence, but I hated it.' Advertisement The system of chartered ICE flights – referred to as ICE Air – has operated for more than a decade, spanning presidential administrations, immigration policies and airlines. The flights have long drawn criticism from human rights advocates, raising concerns about mistreatment of detainees, safety and a lack of transparency. Less spotlighted has been the crossover between GlobalX's sports charters and ICE Air, as universities and sports organizations unwittingly support a company deeply involved in and profiting from deportation flights. 'They may not have known, but now they do, so now they have a choice to make,' said Ann Skeet, a senior director at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University. 'They need to think about the purpose of their organization and their mission, and whether or not using a charter service that also serves ICE is consistent with their mission.' GlobalX and ICE didn't respond to emailed questions. Only 10 of 20 universities responded to requests for comment from The Athletic about flights their teams took on GlobalX in recent months. The schools willing to speak about the matter said they were unaware that the planes they were on were also used to deport people. Memphis, for one, said in a statement: 'The University of Memphis uses multiple sources to charter athletic flights and have no knowledge of their customer base.' Many schools and coaches declined to address the issue at all; several feared potential retaliation given the Trump administration's targeting of some universities. The first GlobalX revenue flight took off in August 2021. A slogan on the airline's website promised: 'You can't beat the eXperience.' The company soon became a major player in the sports charter business as its fleet expanded to more than a dozen. Past clients include professional basketball and football teams, a national soccer team, a major cricket tournament and an array of college sports teams. 'We do fly some of the biggest stars in professional sports, in soccer and some of the top – I think 10 of the top 20 college basketball teams for this season,' Ryan Goepel, the company's president and chief financial officer, said during an earnings call in March. 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A promotional video for sports charters on the GlobalX website earlier this year featured gourmet snacks, a grinning flight crew and spacious seats, complete with pillows, blankets and Fiji bottled water. A company brochure described its charter flights as 'the ultimate in flexibility, convenience, and luxury' and 'your ticket to wherever you want, whenever you want.' 'They were great flights, they are all excited about playing and having fun,' a second former GlobalX pilot said of the sports charters. 'That was one part of GlobalX's business model. The other part was the deportations.' Tom Cartwright, an immigration advocate who tracks ICE flights, first noted ICE's use of GlobalX in late 2021. GlobalX announced a five-year contract in August 2024 worth $65 million per year as a subcontractor to CSI Aviation for the flights. Cartwright estimates that from March through May of this year, GlobalX operated 64 percent of total ICE Air flights and 62 percent of deportation flights. Most adult passengers are required to be 'fully restrained' with 'handcuffs, waist chains, and leg irons,' according to the ICE Air Operations handbook. Carry-on items like books aren't allowed. Detainees can't wear belts, hats or shoelaces. 'They're in conditions that you would see in a POW camp,' said the first former GlobalX pilot. Advertisement An Airbus A320 with the tail number N291GX joined the GlobalX fleet last year, and its usage in recent months illustrates the disparate worlds the airline straddles. That plane carried San Diego State, Maryland, Kentucky and Auburn during the NCAA Tournament. In the two months preceding March Madness, N291GX flew dozens of times with flight numbers and destinations that match ICE Air routes. The plane traveled from Alexandria, La., to the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, then onto Comayagua, Honduras. The Honduran foreign minister tweeted a photo of the aircraft. ICE later announced that 177 detained migrants from Venezuela had been flown from Guantanamo Bay to Honduras, where a Venezuelan plane picked them up. En un trabajo conjunto, por instrucciones de la Presidenta @XiomaraCastroZ en cooperación con los y la República Bolivariana Venezuela con quienes Honduras tiene relaciones diplomáticas, con la labor de @Sedenahn @riximga @CancilleriaHN se realizan Acciones Humanitarias… — Enrique Reina (@EnriqueReinaHN) February 20, 2025 Another trip deported 157 migrants from El Paso, Texas, to Tapachula, Mexico. Local media reported that passengers had been 'handcuffed and shackled from the waist to the feet and hands.' The plane flew from El Paso to San Pedro Sula, Honduras, using a flight number associated with ICE Air. The airport is a regular destination for deportation flights. The next day, March 17, the same plane carried the San Diego State men's basketball team to Dayton, Ohio, and on March 19, it flew the Maryland men to Seattle. The plane traveled to San Salvador, El Salvador on another trip using a flight number associated with ICE Air, then, a week later, on April 2, ferried the Auburn men's basketball team to San Antonio International Airport for the Final Four, where a mariachi group and dancers in bright dresses greeted them in a hangar. Another GlobalX plane – tail number N278GX – landed in San Salvador on Jan. 29, according to flight records and local media reports. More than 80 deportees were aboard. A reporter for El Diario de Hoy photographed the red wrists of one of the passengers and wrote they 'show signs of having been handcuffed for hours.' Two days later, the Kansas State men's basketball team flew from Manhattan, Kan., to Des Moines, Iowa, aboard the same plane in advance of a game against Iowa State in Ames, Iowa. (In a statement, Kansas State said it has been 'pleased' with GlobalX's 'aircraft and service.') Advertisement Also on Jan. 29, a different GlobalX plane with the tail number N837VA ferried 40 deportees to San Pedro Sula. 'They brought me in chains from last night until we arrived here. We're not criminals,' one of the passengers, Dagoberto Portillo, told local media. 'I don't understand the treatment of migrants.' Three days later, the Nebraska men's basketball team traveled aboard the same plane from Lincoln, Neb., to Eugene, Ore. The university said in a statement that the school wasn't 'involved in how that plane was received or procured.' Another GlobalX plane with the tail number N276GX landed at Eduardo Gomes International Airport in Manaus, Brazil, on Jan. 24 with 88 Brazilian deportees. Someone activated the aircraft's emergency exit slides. Photos and videos recorded a chaotic scene where shackled passengers stood on a wing and others roamed the tarmac. 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New York Times
2 hours ago
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Cowboys minicamp: Jake Ferguson, George Pickens shine on Day 2; ping pong duels intensify
FRISCO, Texas — With the threat of inclement weather looming, the Dallas Cowboys held their Wednesday afternoon mandatory minicamp practice on the field inside The Star. As players went through their regular stretches and warmups, Where The Hood At by DMX — a song released a year before running back Jaydon Blue was born — started blaring through the speakers. The song choice instantly put Dak Prescott, among many other players, in a different groove as they got ready for the final practice of minicamp. Advertisement The Cowboys will take the field Thursday for a walk-through but Wednesday's session was the last practice before the team takes the field for training camp in Oxnard, Calif., next month. Let's examine some things that stood out from the two practices this week. Nearly everything observed on the field this time of year should be taken with a grain of salt. Contact is non-existent, which not only makes it impossible to gauge the players in the trenches on both lines, but also makes it tricky in other areas. For example, George Pickens had a great catch up the field on a pass from Prescott on Wednesday, with cornerback DaRon Bland in tight coverage. The play would count as a plus for Pickens but isn't necessarily a negative for Bland, who was stapled to Pickens and would have probably made a more aggressive play on the ball in different circumstances. Speaking of cornerbacks, former first-round pick Kaiir Elam, who the Cowboys acquired this offseason in a trade with the Buffalo Bills, popped out on both days. It was a little bit of good and bad. He had a nice pass breakup Tuesday on the field outside and again indoors Wednesday. On Wednesday, Elam was in coverage against CeeDee Lamb and Prescott tried to go deep to his primary receiver in the end zone. Elam made a nice play to beat Lamb to the ball but dropped the interception. It was similar to the previous day when Elam made a nice play on the ball but dropped the pass that hit him in the hands. The tempo of these minicamp practices favors the offense, and on Tuesday, Pickens was the standout. It's easy to see why there's so much excitement around the Cowboys adding him to the mix. Not only does he have reliable hands, but his route running is crisp, he stretches the field and works the underneath on plays the Cowboys anticipate turning into big yards-after-catch opportunities. 'When I play receiver, it's always about what the (defensive back) thinks you're doing,' Pickens said. 'I try to keep him on his toes at all times.' WRs are movin' 💨#DallasCowboys | @Invisalign — Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) June 10, 2025 Head coach Brian Schottenheimer is doing more from a scheme standpoint to hunt mismatches, rather than just reply on the individual talent of his playmakers. Pickens and Lamb frequently line up next to each other, sometimes getting off the line of scrimmage together and other times with one of them going in motion to the other side before the snap. Either way, it puts additional stress on the defense and makes things easier on Prescott. Advertisement The offensive standout Wednesday was Jake Ferguson. The fourth-year tight end had a great touchdown catch down the seam from Prescott during the team session. Prescott placed the ball perfectly, just behind Ferguson and away from linebacker Jack Sanborn, who had tight coverage. The middle of the field has become a money area for the connection between Prescott and Ferguson. 'That's been going back since I got here,' Ferguson said. 'I love the seam ball, he loves throwing it. We just happened to have that play called today but we've been repping that daily with routes on air and stuff like that. That's been a connection that's been building continuously. You guys just saw a piece of it today.' Ferguson, who is going into the final year of his rookie contract, is looking for a rebound year after a down season in 2024. Last season, Ferguson dealt with a knee injury, a concussion and a midseason injury to his QB1. All together, it resulted in a touchdown-less season for Ferguson. He brought that up unprompted Wednesday. 'That was something I came into this offseason really working on,' Ferguson said. 'Just really tried to dial in on that and make sure I was lights out. … That one stung but at the same time, I was asked to do different stuff, whether it be chipping or pass (protection) or something like that, and that's OK. I'm trying to do whatever it takes to have this team win and to go get our ultimate goal. So, whatever they need me to do, it's kind of just a personal thing to probably get over that hump. At the end of the day, yes, I do want to score touchdowns.' One of the most intriguing players this week — as well as the past month with OTAs — has been backup quarterback Joe Milton. He took reps Wednesday ahead of Will Grier and flashed a lot of the advertised potential. To cap off his first drive, Milton, rolling to his left, hit Ryan Flournoy for a touchdown. He'll be interesting to watch as each level amps up from training camp practices to preseason games and potentially the regular season, if circumstances require him to play. Advertisement In many ways, Milton is the complete opposite of what the Cowboys had at backup last year in Cooper Rush. That's not a slight to Milton or Rush — they're just different. Milton has all the physical tools and arm strength one would like, whereas Rush processed the game and read defenses well. Milton is only in his second NFL season and his third offensive system in the past three years. A learning curve is to be expected. Rush was in his eighth year with the vast majority of it in Dallas. Once it all comes together for Milton and he racks up more experience, there could be something there for the Cowboys. There isn't much to read into yet when it comes to the performances of the offensive and defensive lines. However, unlike last year, there's no ambiguity with who the top group includes. Every time the No. 1 offense goes on the field (from left to right), Tyler Guyton, Tyler Smith, Cooper Beebe, Tyler Booker and Terence Steele lead the charge. There will be more to say about this unit when the pads come on next month. Micah Parsons was involved in a variety of ways today, helmet and no helmet, going through some drills in individual. Parsons didn't participate in any team activities, team or 7-on-7. Parsons was around the whole time. — Saad Yousuf (@SaadYousuf126) June 11, 2025 On Tuesday, star pass rusher Micah Parsons was present for minicamp but didn't participate in on-field activities. In speaking to the media, Parsons said he was dealing with some back tightness stemming from a workout he had with Trevon Diggs. Of course, Parsons is also under the spotlight as he waits for the Cowboys to give him a monster extension that would make him one of the richest non-quarterbacks in NFL history. On Wednesday, Parsons joined the team on the field inside The Star during warmups. He was in his jersey but didn't have on a helmet. That's also how he was when individual drills began. However, Parsons soon put on his helmet and went through some individual drills, taking competitive reps against his fellow pass rushers. Parsons didn't participate in any of the team activities later but remained on the field. At one point during the team session, Parsons was on the sideline tossing the ball around with Diggs, who is still rehabbing from his injury and was not a participant at all this week. By now, it's well documented that the Cowboys have a ping pong table in the locker room. The most intense competition, at least when the media is allowed in, occurred Wednesday when Parsons played against rookie defensive tackle Jay Toia. It was a frustrating start for Parsons, who went down early against Toia, primarily because he couldn't make contact with Toia's returns. For what it's worth, Toia played while holding the ping pong paddle in an unconventional way, with his entire hand gripping the round part of the paddle. After Parsons dug himself into a deep deficit, Diggs came next to him to try and hype him up. It seemed to do the trick. Parsons mounted a huge comeback and dispatched Toia, much to DeMarvion Overshown's dismay. The match between Parsons and Toia resulted in an extremely loud locker room, with players and media standing on both sides to watch it unfold. Parsons also later beat Lamb. Juanyeh Thomas is thought to be one of the better ping pong players on the team. Earlier in the offseason, Thomas took on the praise of his ping pong skills while also sharing that he would only concede his skills to punter Bryan Anger. Anger, who also is the reigning back-to-back champion of the team's Home Run Derby and completed two passes during Wednesday's practice on fake punts, seems to have one of the more diverse skill sets on the team. (Photo of Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb: Chris Jones / Imagn Images)
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Paige Bueckers' Response After Dallas Wings' Sixth Straight Loss
Paige Bueckers' Response After Dallas Wings' Sixth Straight Loss originally appeared on Athlon Sports. After missing four games while in concussion protocol followed by an illness, Paige Bueckers returned to action for the Dallas Wings on Wednesday. Advertisement She had her best game yet as a pro by exploding for 35 points on 13-of-19 shooting from the field and hitting five of her seven 3-point attempts while adding six rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block. But the rookie couldn't prevent the Wings from losing to the Phoenix Mercury, 93-80. They now have a putrid 1-10 record, which is the worst mark in the WNBA. Bueckers was used to winning in college at UConn, and she talked about how she is dealing with losses in bunches as a pro. "It's challenging but very rewarding in a sense of you being super process-oriented and not result-oriented," she said. "How we want to have a set of standards, build a culture and have a way we do things and stick to that regardless of wins or losses... Then the results will follow and will come as we continue to stay disciplined in who we are every single day. "Just trying to lead by example, lead with my voice and just have difficult conversations. Get to know these people on and off the court and continue to build that chemistry... Just like anything in life, it's a journey." When Bueckers was at UConn, the school always reached at least the Sweet Sixteen round of the women's NCAA Tournament. In fact, during that time, the only instance in which the Huskies didn't get to the Final Four was when she missed all of the 2022-23 season with an injury. Advertisement Just a couple of months ago, they won it all by blasting South Carolina in the title game. For her college career, she averaged 19.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists a game while shooting 53.1% from the field and 42.3% from downtown. Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers and Minnesota Lynx forward Alanna SmithBruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images But she is now playing for a Wings franchise that has struggled in recent years. It has won just one playoff series since 2009, when it was known as the Shock and moved from Detroit to Tulsa, Oklahoma. In the meantime, look for Bueckers to continue to show patience as she develops her game and looks to become the WNBA's next superstar. Related: Caitlin Clark's Appearance at NBA Finals Draws Indiana Fever Reaction This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
