Latest news with #NancyLiebermanAward
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Paige Bueckers' Blunt Response to Immediate Problem in WNBA Rookie Season
On Monday, the Dallas Wings dropped their second straight game, falling 79-71 at home to the Seattle Storm. Rookie guard Paige Bueckers led Dallas with 19 points, eight assists and five rebounds, improving markedly on her debut line of 10 points, seven rebounds and two assists in a season-opening loss to the Minnesota Lynx. Advertisement Yet, the Wings shot a woeful 4-for-19 from three and were repeatedly burned by Skylar Diggins, Gabby Williams and Nneka Ogwumike, who combined for 61 points. After the final buzzer, a reporter noted that defenses have been sending double teams at Bueckers "on nearly every possession" and asked how she planned to respond. "I mean it's probably smart just to get the ball out of my hands, and just trying to... adjust offensively on how to counteract a trap... and maybe less ball screens and screening," Bueckers said. "But it's just something a different look that defenses are throwing at me, which is an adjustment. And so just continue to learn and work through that." Bueckers concluded a decorated five-year career at UConn this spring as the nation's premier college player. Advertisement She led the Huskies to the 2025 NCAA title, earning all of the sport's top honors in her senior year: the Honda Sports Award, Wade Trophy, and AP Player of the Year, among others. A three-time unanimous first-team All-American (2021, 2024, 2025) and two-time Nancy Lieberman Award winner, Bueckers posted a career scoring average of 19.9 points per game, the highest in UConn history. Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5).Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images The Wings selected her with the first overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft in April. At 0-2, they now face a true test of resilience when Bueckers returns to Minnesota on Wednesday for her 'homecoming' versus the Lynx. Related: Former WNBA Champion Involved in Caitlin Clark Incident Gets Released Related: Indiana Fever Turn Heads with Roster Announcement on Thursday
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dallas Wings' Strong Statement on Paige Bueckers Amid Rookie Season
The Dallas Wings may not have a strong team this year, but they do have a strong rookie in Paige Bueckers who should help transform them into winners in the years to come. She struggled in her WNBA debut on Friday by going 3-of-10 from the field and scoring just 10 points. But in the first half of Monday's game versus the Seattle Storm, she scored 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field and added four assists, two rebounds and one block. Advertisement On their official X account, the Wings reminded the rest of the league that Bueckers will be an issue for many other teams for a long time. "We've got Paige... you've got problems :)" the caption read. Less than two months ago, Bueckers led the UConn Huskies to the women's NCAA championship over South Carolina. For the season, she averaged 19.9 points, 4.6 assists and 4.4 rebounds a game while shooting 53.4% from the field and 41.9% from 3-point range. The guard won the Wade Trophy, the Big East Player of the Year and Nancy Lieberman Award in 2025, and she was the No. 1 pick in last month's WNBA draft by Dallas. May 16, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) passes over Minnesota Lynx guard Natisha Hiedeman (2) during the second half at College Park Jairaj-Imagn Images Dallas, a franchise that won three league championships in 2003, 2006 and 2008 when it was known as the Detroit Shock, has fallen upon hard times in recent years. It went just 9-31 last season and has had a winning record just once in the last nine seasons. Advertisement But in Bueckers, it could have the WNBA's next superstar to build around moving forward. Related: Paige Bueckers Reveals Truth on Exchange With Napheesa Collier
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lynx Coach Cheryl Reeve Sends Clear Message Before Paige Bueckers' Rookie Season
Friday night's opener at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas, was electric long before tipoff. A sold-out crowd packed the arena as the Dallas Wings prepared to host the Minnesota Lynx in a matchup that carried a lot of weight as the WNBA debut of No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers. Advertisement Bueckers, facing the very franchise she idolized growing up in Minnesota, put up ten points, seven rebounds, two assists and one block in what was an 84-99 loss for the Wings. Reeve, serving dual roles as head coach and president of basketball operations for the Lynx, spoke about Bueckers' roots before the game. 'She's from Minnesota. We're super proud of her… Minnesota is an incredible place for girls' basketball, women's basketball, and we've been a huge part of that. You know, we're a big reason why Paige, sort of, got a chance to dream… She deserves it.' Born in Edina and raised in nearby St. Louis Park, Minnesota, Bueckers was the nation's top recruit out of Hopkins High School. Advertisement Joining UConn in 2020, she became the first freshman ever to sweep the AP Player of the Year, Naismith Trophy, Wooden Award and Nancy Lieberman Award honors in a single season. Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5).Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images After overcoming knee injuries that sidelined her in her sophomore and junior seasons, she returned to lead the Huskies to an undefeated conference slate and the 2025 NCAA championship. Bueckers closed her UConn career as the third-highest point scorer in program history with 2,439 points and the highest career scoring average at 19.9 per game. Related: Indiana Fever Turn Heads with Roster Announcement on Thursday Related: Former WNBA Champion Involved in Caitlin Clark Incident Gets Released
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UConn Shares Exciting Statement Featuring Paige Bueckers on Friday
The UConn Huskies women's basketball program recently celebrated another significant milestone. With the 2025 WNBA season set to tip off, 15 former Huskies will begin the year on opening-day rosters. Among the names highlighted was guard Paige Bueckers, who is set to make her debut with the Dallas Wings in their season opener against the Minnesota Lynx on Friday. Advertisement Bueckers was selected No. 1 overall by the Wings in the 2025 WNBA Draft after a standout college career with the Huskies. UConn took to X to celebrate the achievement, highlighting not only the program's strong pipeline to the professional ranks but also one of college basketball's most decorated players stepping onto the WNBA stage. Bueckers arrived at UConn in 2020 and quickly reshaped expectations for freshman guards. In 2021, she became the first-ever freshman to claim the John R. Wooden Award and AP Player of the Year, joining an elite list of Huskies legends. In her final senior season in 2024-25, she led UConn in scoring (19.9 ppg) and assists (4.6 apg), while shooting 53.4% from the field and 41.9% from 3-point range. Advertisement In the process, she guided the Huskies to their 12th national title, won the Wade Trophy, Nancy Lieberman Award, and consensus First-Team All-America honors. She also earned Big East Player of the Year and Tournament Most Outstanding Player distinctions. Dallas Wings guard Paige Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Dallas finished 2024 with a 9-31 record, the franchise's worst winning percentage since 2011. Now, the Wings enter the 2025 WNBA season with a renewed sense of hope, as a former college basketball icon leads the franchise into a new era. Related: Wings Release Two of Paige Bueckers' Teammates on Saturday Related: Indiana Fever Turn Heads with Roster Announcement on Thursday
New York Times
14-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
As likely No. 1 WNBA Draft pick, Paige Bueckers is among new generation of young talent
Two Sundays ago, Paige Bueckers and Sue Bird gathered inside Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla., as different points in their lives were celebrated. Bueckers led a courtside coronation. The Huskies blew out South Carolina to win UConn's first national championship in nine years. With the souvenir net draped around her neck after her final college game, Bueckers said she felt an overwhelming sense of joy and gratitude. Advertisement Bird also appeared grateful for her moment in the spotlight. She was present, in part, to co-host an alternate ESPN telecast with her best friend and former UConn teammate Diana Taurasi. But in the first half of the Huskies' eventual 23-point victory, Bird received a warm ovation from fans as she was honored as a new inductee in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. That both Bird and Bueckers were in the same place at the same time was a fitting reminder of the current moment in women's basketball. A new guard is entering the professional ranks while an older generation looks on — and receives acknowledgement — from the arena rafters. Over the last three years, WNBA trailblazers like Bird, Taurasi, Sylvia Fowles and Candace Parker have retired from the league. Bueckers, who is expected to be selected with the No. 1 pick in Monday night's WNBA Draft by the Dallas Wings, represents a potential pillar for its future. Paige. Buckets. Enough said. 🏆 Paige Bueckers closed out her UConn career with a national title and the 2025 Wade Trophy. She was a 3x AP First Team All-American, a 2x Nancy Lieberman Award winner, and the 2021 National Player of the Year. Bueckers led UConn to four Final… — WNBA (@WNBA) April 11, 2025 She joins last year's top rookies, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, as cornerstones of the WNBA's latest chapter. Who better to be a new baton carrier than someone who faced constant questions about pressure and legacy throughout her college career? As the WNBA attempts to build on its historic 2024 season, Bueckers' arrival is as close as the league can come to adding another ambassador prepared to help compound its growth. 'It's so popular right now, so it's at a really good place,' Wings general manager Curt Miller said. 'I'm excited about this draft class keeping the momentum going.' Advertisement Bueckers is used to high expectations. At UConn, she faced endless reminders of them. Chairs from each of the program's Final Four appearances were in the Huskies' practice gym. Banners for All-Americans and national titles hang on walls. Some Storrs, Conn., highway welcome signs denote how many championships the Huskies have won. After last week, that's now an NCAA-record 12. Bueckers is aware of each marker. She learned to refine her mindset and become more process-focused to manage. Over five years, she became the face of a college program that has an arguably higher profile than almost every WNBA franchise, navigating not only her own growing stardom but also a changing climate in college sports. She is part of a generation of college players who have conducted themselves like pros while still in school. Photo and commercial shoots become part of off days. She already has partnerships with Nike, Intuit, Google and Bose. And Friday, Bueckers — having never stepped foot on a WNBA court — was part of Ally's promotional materials for becoming the official banking partner of the WNBA. Eight days after finishing her collegiate career, Bueckers will officially turn the page in her story when she walks across the draft stage. She'll almost certainly be headed to Dallas to join a franchise that lacks the same historic relevance as her alma mater. Though the Wings technically have three championships to their name, those titles belong to the Detroit Shock, which later relocated to Tulsa and eventually moved to Texas. 'I can't begin to tell you how much this just injects energy, enthusiasm, as we head into the '25 season,' Miller said in December after the Wings were awarded the No. 1 pick. As a three-time All-American, three-time Big East Player of the Year and one-time Naismith Player of the Year, Bueckers can look to Clark as a road map through her rookie season. Advertisement The former Iowa star's adjustment to the pros took only a few weeks. Clark exploded, adjusting to the WNBA's physicality, finding her stroke and meshing with her teammates en route to an All-WNBA first-team season. The Indiana Fever returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. 'Much like last year when we thought Caitlin Clark's game was going to translate right away, and for the most part it did, I think Paige's game is going to translate right away,' UConn alum and Hall of Fame forward Rebecca Lobo said. 'Caitlin and Paige are very different players. … But their impact can be just as significant.' Teammates will feel Bueckers' impact in games — she is a willing passer and will create even better looks for Dallas' existing star guard Arike Ogunbowale. And it will be felt league-wide — the WNBA knows she's a TV draw, with two Wings games on ABC this season after none last year. In Dallas, team executives have also long recognized the impact the No. 1 pick would have. When the Wings won the lottery in mid-November, nine days after Miller was announced as their new GM, they also had yet to hire a coach. But that Sunday, when the ping-pong balls bounced in their favor, Miller knew it was transformative. The Wings, who hired Chris Koclanes as their coach in December, were already in a growth moment when they learned of their good fortune. They had been planning a 2026 move from Arlington to Dallas, boosting their arena seating from around 6,000 to 9,000. A new practice facility was already in the works, too, and they added more national partners than ever last season. Dallas rebudgeted its ticket revenue three times in 2024 and sold two half-percent ownership stakes at a league-record $208 million valuation. 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 But in the same way that Clark supercharged interest in the Fever and Reese did for the Chicago Sky, Bueckers will likely provide a boost. Though Dallas' total ticket revenue grew 44 percent year over year from 2023 to 2024, the franchise is projecting a 50 percent increase in total ticket revenue this season. The Wings have sold out their season ticket inventory each of the past two seasons, but they announced they did so in late November, just days after securing the No. 1 pick. Bueckers, 23, is a known star. Off the court, she garnered headlines from appearances at the U.S. Open and New York Fashion Week. This season, the Huskies sold out their season tickets for Gampel Pavilion for the first time since 2004-05. Advertisement UConn's blowout win over South Carolina was the third-most watched women's basketball championship game, peaking at 9.8 million viewers, according to ESPN. The Sweet 16 round averaged 1.7 million viewers across ESPN's networks, the second-most watched Sweet 16 on record behind last year. Monday's draft might also fall short of 2024's record event, but it's poised to remain noteworthy and could be the second-most watched W draft ever. Bueckers will hear her name called, share a moment with commissioner Cathy Engelbert and begin a post-draft circuit consisting of interviews and photo shoots. As Taurasi said last season as Clark prepared for the WNBA, reality is coming. For Bueckers, this is true, too. But as a part of a wave of name, image and likeness stars who have already been the faces of a program and the sport, Bueckers is poised to be another success story in this era of historic WNBA growth. It's impossible to be fully prepared for what's next, but she is well-positioned to thrive. Here's a look at the order of Monday's draft: (Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; photo of Paige Bueckers: David Butler II / Imagn Images)
