The 2025 WNBA Draft was supposed to be the Paige Bueckers draft. The 5’11 guard returned for a fifth season at UConn in hopes of winning an elusive NCAA championship. She was the number one player in the 2020 high school class ahead of Caitlin Clark, and fans have seen Bueckers shine in college when healthy.
It was supposed to be her time. Everyone projected her to go to the Dallas Wings when they won the draft lottery in November. It seemed like an absolute lock, but the tide is quickly shifting.
Bueckers has struggled in her toughest tests and is now dealing with an injury. Those facts are not helping her case, but the play of an NCAA rival has pushed her into the conversation to go number one. The playmaker has taken the lead in early January.
Olivia Miles deserves to be the number 1 pick in 2025 WNBA Draft over Paige Bueckers
Miles missed the 2023-24 season with a knee injury, but is back and better than ever. The 5’10 guard is leading the NCAA in assists per game for the third time in her college career and has Notre Dame in title contention.
Miles averages 16.9 points, 7.1 assists, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.6 steals in 33.7 minutes per game. She is shooting 55.8 percent from the field and 47.8 percent on her threes. She has been an unstoppable offensive force and has produced some magical highlights.
Bueckers is putting up monster numbers of her own, but her shot attempts are down and her playmaking numbers are stagnant. Is she the alpha on a WNBA team? There has been frustration with her not taking over late in games, which has created questions about her being the primary scorer on a contender at the next level. Is Bueckers just the second or third star on a WNBA champion? The lack of answers dings her draft stock.
Miles is an unquestioned lead ball-handler and playmaker at the next level. She is a wizard with the ball and will get everyone involved. Her improved 3-point shooting has everyone excited. Miles may never be a 20-point-per-game scorer in the W, but having an offensive engine that creates tons of easy buckets is ideal.
Miles is two years younger than Bueckers, which has to factor in when drafting a prospect. Paige Buckets is already 23 years old and will quickly be entering her prime. Miles has arguably been the better college player this season and has two more years to develop.
The Wings have elite scorers in Arike Ogunbowale and Satou Sabally. They need a shot-creator like Olivia Miles to make them an elite offense. Dallas has plenty of issues, so solving a crucial one with the top pick would be ideal. It is fair to question Bueckers fit with Arike as the top scorer.
Paige Bueckers has time to reclaim the number one spot in the 2025 WNBA Draft. She must get more aggressive and lead UConn on a deep tournament run. This was supposed to be her marquee season. Bueckers must force that reality to surpass the incredible Olivia Miles and be the top pick come April. Stay tuned to see if she can make it happen.