Paige Bueckers is the next big thing in women’s basketball. Rising to stardom in the NCAA as UConn’s standout point guard, Bueckers has already amassed an impressive resume. She graduated high school in 2020 as ESPN’s top-ranked recruit for her class and became the first freshman to win National Women’s College Player of the Year. Recruiters have had their eye on Bueckers ever since she was a kid. As a seventh grader, she played for her district’s high school team and competed in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League. She led her team to a 31-one-game record in her first year.
Despite several injuries that prevented her from playing basketball in her sophomore and junior years, Bueckers led her team to the Final Four each time she was eligible to play for her team in the tournament. In her senior year, she was named unanimous first-team All-American. She also played in the FIBA Under 19 World Cup in 2019, where she was named MVP and won gold in the Youth Basketball Olympics.
Now Bueckers is going pro. Projected to be the first pick in the 2025 WNBA draft, she will likely go to the Dallas Wings, who just announced they will get the first selection. With how the WNBA draft is set up, the four poorest performing teams get priority in the draft lottery. Over the last two seasons, the Dallas Wings have had a 31 to 49 record, which gave them a 22.7% chance of getting picked first until the Chicago Sky gave up their first-round pick to the Wings, doubling their chances.
Many predict Bueckers is the next face of the WNBA, already surpassing superstars like Caitlin Clark with product deals. In 2023, she signed a $28 million contract with Nike. Bueckers will also get her shoe from Nike, the Zoom GT Hustle 3 sneaker, which should be out just in time for the draft ceremony. The kicks will retail at a whopping $190 a pair. She is the only college basketball player – man or woman – to have her shoe with Nike.
If selected by the Wings, Bueckers will join powerhouse Arike Ogunbowale. With Buecker’s talented defensive skills and Ogunbowale’s impressive 19-points-per-game average, the Wings could be looking at a competitive season.
