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Summary:
- Paige Bueckers has become the sixth UConn player to go No. 1 overall in the WNBA Draft.
- Dallas Wings is ready to build with Bueckers leading the charge..
- The iconic player celebrated the moment with her UConn teammates while embracing her new Texas home..
Paige Bueckers has been riding a wave of adrenaline, joy, and gratitude since winning her first NCAA championship just over a week ago in Tampa. It’s been a blur ever since, from celebrating in Hartford with UConn fans to stepping onto the orange carpet at the WNBA Draft in New York, where her name was called first overall by the Dallas Wings.
The journey to this moment was anything but guaranteed. Though she’s long been seen as a top draft prospect, Bueckers never took anything for granted.
Bueckers, “Excited” for the Next Journey
The 23-year-old Edina, Minnesota-born player said
You don’t ever want to assume anything. Nothing is guaranteed, so for this moment to be here and it actually happened, it’s nerve-racking. You have a level of excitement, nervousness, bittersweet feeling knowing the journey at UConn is over, but [I’m] excited for the next one to begin
That new chapter officially began Monday night, but it was preceded by a heartfelt morning with the other top draft picks at the Empire State Building, a tradition that added extra meaning to an already emotional day.
By the time fans in UConn jerseys gathered at The Shed in Hudson Yards, Bueckers was fully immersed in the moment, surrounded by family, teammates, and her coach, Geno Auriemma.
On the ESPN broadcast, she fought back tears when talking about what her UConn teammates meant to her, a bond built through adversity and resilience after multiple injuries left their team short-handed in recent years.
To be at this stage, to be here, to have a lot of my supporters here, and people who’ve helped me get here, it just means everything to me
“There Are New Levels of Standards”
Two of her teammates, Kaitlyn Chen and Aubrey Griffin, were also drafted Monday night, with Griffin becoming the 50th Husky taken in WNBA Draft history.
While Bueckers is stepping into big shoes, she’s doing so with a grounded mindset and a sense of purpose. The Dallas Wings are hoping she can be the spark they need to reach the next level.
Like top picks before her, Paige Bueckers now carries the weight of reviving a franchise. The Dallas Wings, who last reached the WNBA Finals as the Detroit Shock, have only made two semifinal appearances since 2010, most recently in 2023, when they were swept by the Las Vegas Aces.
We have established that there are new levels of standards that are going to be set in play. It’s not a rebuild, it’s just a build from where we are.
And yes, in case anyone was wondering, she’s already embraced the local flavor. After initially choosing barbecue over Tex-Mex in a pre-draft interview, she quickly corrected herself:
I was unfamiliar with the term Tex-Mex, so that’s my pick.
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