The end of Paige Buecker's five-year career at UConn is rapidly approaching, but the best could be yet to come. The Huskies will face the Oklahoma Sooners in the Sweet Sixteen in their quest for their first championship since 2016.
Bueckers wants to leave Connecticut with a title before she begins her WNBA career. The draft is on April 14 in New York City, only 19 days away. She won't have much time to soak in the end of her UConn chapter before she hears her name called as the No. 1 pick (we all know it's coming).
The Wings were awarded the No. 1 pick at the draft lottery, leading to speculation that Bueckers might not want to play in Dallas. She hasn't said anything about not wanting to go to Texas, but it's safe to assume she would rather go to Los Angeles. The Sparks had the No. 2 pick, but sent it to Seattle as part of the Kelsey Plum-Jewell Loyd deal.
All signs point toward Bueckers suiting up for the Wings, as she's made it clear she isn't returning to Connecticut. She matched her career-high of 34 points in her final game in Storrs in the Huskies' 91-57 win over South Dakota in the second round of the tournament.
Paige Bueckers hype rises as 2025 WNBA Draft draws closer
Dallas has to be ecstatic about the kind of player the organization will be getting in Bueckers. Drafting her will immediately alter the Wings' trajectory. WNBA GMs know it, too.
The Athletic spoke with six anonymous WNBA GMs and asked them about their opinions of the 2025 draft class (subscription required). What they had to say about Bueckers should excite Dallas fans even more:
“Great leader. She’s incredibly poised. She’s prepared, pro-ready and so impressive, on and off the court. A franchise foundational player.”
“Despite the fact that people always want to seem to talk about some potential flaws, (she’s)still the most sure thing today in this draft.”
Another said that if Bueckers can "stay healthy," she'll be an All-Star, while another said how she adjusts to the speed and physicality of the WNBA will determine how she fares.
The future is bright for the 23-year-old. Bueckers has the tools to have a long, successful WNBA career that Dallas fans hope will include a few championships. She's focused on winning another championship right now, and if she achieves that goal, the hype will skyrocket even more.