Paige Bueckers goes No. 1 overall to Dallas Wings in WNBA Draft

WNBA commissionner Cathy Engelbert (L) welcomes Paige Bueckers as she is the number one pick drafted by the Dallas Wings during the 2025 WNBA Draft at the Shed in New York City on April 14, 2025. ((Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP) (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images))

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Paige Bueckers turned a professional basketball dream into a reality Monday night, getting taken No. 1 overall by the Dallas Wings in the WNBA Draft.

The Minnesota native and former Hopkins star is fresh off winning her only college national championship at Connecticut, helping the Huskies beat South Carolina 82-59. She averaged 19.9 points, 4.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game while shooting 53.4 percent from the field, and nearly 42 percent from perimeter. Bueckers, a former McDonald’s All-American, led UConn to its 12th national title.

She persevered through two knee injuries to leave UConn as one of the best players in the history of the program.

Bueckers to sign with Unrivaled

Why you should care:

Bueckers signed an NIL deal with "Unrivaled" before her final season with the Huskies. She’s now expected to sign a three-year deal with the 3-on-3 women’s league, which is co-owned by Breanna Stewart and Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier. The deal is reportedly worth more than $350,000. That’s more than she’ll make on her WNBA rookie contract. Unrivaled is a league that plays during the WNBA offseason so players don’t have to go overseas to make a living.

When Bueckers plays Lynx

What we know:

The Dallas Wings will open the 2025 regular season hosting the Minnesota Lynx on May 16. Bueckers will play the Lynx for the first time in Minneapolis on May 21, which is the Lynx home opener at Target Center.