Image Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

Dallas Wings Rejoice as Paige Bueckers Declares for WNBA Draft

Paige Bueckers has officially declared for the 2025 WNBA Draft.

Image Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

UConn star Paige Bueckers has officially declared for the 2025 WNBA Draft, a decision that has brought a huge sigh of relief for the Dallas Wings. Rumors had been circulating online that Bueckers was considering other options and potentially delaying her declaration until 2026. However, former player Rebecca Lobo announced on X that Bueckers will participate in this season’s draft.

“Paige Bueckers confirmed to us today that she will enter the 2025 @WNBA Draft. (Some had suggested she would not declare, play in Unrivaled, and then declare in 2026),” she tweeted.

Paige Bueckers confirmed to us today that she will enter the 2025 @WNBA Draft. (Some had suggested she would not declare, play in Unrivaled, and then declare in 2026.)
— Rebecca Lobo (@RebeccaLobo) March 28, 2025

There were speculations about her plans after this season, considering she has one year of NCAA eligibility left. In addition, there were rumors that Buecker would take time off and sit out the 2025 WNBA season because she doesn’t want to go to the Dallas Wings, who hold the No. 1 overall pick.

As Bueckers is projected to be the first overall pick, reports suggested that she preferred to join the Los Angeles Sparks. However, the Sparks, who initially held the second pick, later traded it to the Seattle Storm as part of the Jewell Loyd-Kelsey Plum deal.

Looking forward to seeing Paige Bueckers do this in the WNBA.! pic.twitter.com/NNFEZfmNSu
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) March 28, 2025

Earlier, Wings executive Miller expressed confidence that Bueckers would declare for this year’s WNBA Draft. He said, “How about them apples for the No. 1 pick?” Not only this, but when journalist Howard Medgal speculated that the UConn guard may pull an “Eli Manning”, he said, “We have not heard anything directly that any person eligible for this draft would not want to play in Dallas.”

“In fact, Arike (Ogunbowale) hears from most of the top possible draft picks in this class, and they’re all really, really excited about possibly pairing with Arike,” Miller added.

The Dallas Wings earned the first overall pick by winning the 2025 WNBA Draft Lottery in November 2024. They entered the lottery on the back of 31-49 combined records from 2023 and 2024 seasons.

Also Read: From Caitlin Clark to Simone Biles – Top 5 women athletes who ruled sports in 2024

Is Paige Bueckers the Next Big Star After Caitlin Clark?

Paige Bueckers is one of the most dominating names in current women’s college basketball. A recipient of several honors including McDonald’s All-American Award, Gatorade Female High School Athlete of the Year and several others, Bueckers is often compared to the Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark. However, let us find out if the stats really second these voices.

Both Clark and Bueckers had memorable freshman seasons in 2021. Clark averaged 26.6 points and 7.1 assists per game, while Bueckers recorded 20 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.9 rebounds per game. Their first head-to-head matchup occurred in the Sweet Sixteen, where UConn defeated Iowa despite Clark scoring 21 points and Bueckers finishing with 18. Overall, Clark totaled 799 points in 30 games that season, while Bueckers registered 581 points in 29 games.

Also Read: Alexis Ohanian sends ‘open invitation’ to Caitlin Clark after the WNBA star expresses desire to have dinner with Serena Williams

In the 2021-22 season, Bueckers averaged 14.6 points, 4 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 17 games. Clark, on the other hand, ended the season averaging 27 points, 7.1 rebounds and 8 assists in 32 games. In the same season, she became the first back-to-back recipient of the Dawn Staley Award.

Paige missed the 2022-23 season with an ACL tear in her left knee. She received an additional year of college eligibility after redshirting the season.

Later in 2023-24, Paige finished the season with an average of 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. Clark, on the other hand, recorded 31.6 points, 8.9 assists and 7.4 rebounds per game.

Clark was drafted by the Indiana Fever as the first overall pick and had a memorable rookie season. She not only won the Rookie of the Year Award but also made it to the All-Star Game. Clark became the seventh WNBA rookie to be named an All-Star starter. She finished the season with an average of 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 8.4 assists per game.

It remains to be seen whether Bueckers can live up to the legacy Clark established in her rookie season.

Dallas Wings

Paige Bueckers

Garima Ranawat

Garima is a sports writer with around two years of experience in Indian sports and a newfound interest in the NBA. Inspired by the leadership of cricketing legend MS Dhoni, she wishes to bring in newer perspectives to the NBA fanatics with her writing.