Paige Bueckers entered the WNBA carrying more than just hype. She carried immense doubt. “My only concerns with Paige are physical. If she can stay healthy, I think she’s an All-Star level talent,” a GM told The Athletic. And those concerns were not unfounded, as her long list of injuries became a talking point leading up to the draft. An ACL tear, knee problems, meniscus injuries—her college career seemed plagued at every turn. Beyond her health, there were also questions about her being too passive and her overall approach to the game. Yet, amid the doubters, there were believers as well. One of the earliest has been her so-called rival, Caitlin Clark. Now, with the regular season complete, Bueckers has repaid every ounce of faith that was placed in her.
Let’s roll back the days since there is not just the April 2025 praise from Clark, but also the April 2024. Ahead of UConn and Iowa’s Final Four clash in what was her final college season, Clark talked about how much awe Bueckers inspires in her. Clark said, “I think the coolest thing about Paige is how resilient she is. Obviously, she’s been kind of dealt a tough hand and only has positive things to say about her teammates. And the way she carries herself on and off the court and the way she works hard, none of that has changed. Since I’ve known her since she was in middle school, she’s always worked that same way, always had that fire and been a leader.”
That resilience carried into Bueckers’ rookie WNBA season. Despite injury scares and playing for a team stuck at the bottom of the standings, she never let her spirit waver. After doubts about her Rookie of the Year chances, she silenced them all by claiming the award against tough competition. The WNBA finally announced that Paige Bueckers has been named the 2025 Kia Rookie of the Year, the first Dallas player to win it since Allisha Gray in 2017. She received 70 of 72 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters, with Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron earning the other two.
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No ifs and buts about the fact that the honor is rightly received.
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Bueckers started all 36 games of her debut season, putting up 19.2 points, 5.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.6 steals in 33.3 minutes per contest. She shot 47.4% from the floor and 88.8% from the line.
Among rookies, she led in total points (692), scoring average, total assists (194), and assists per game, while placing second in steals and free throw percentage, and fourth in field goal accuracy. Across the entire league, she finished fifth in scoring, sixth in steals, and ninth in assists.
Ranked third all-time for both rookie points and assists, and tied for second in double-digit scoring games (35).
She dropped 44 points on 17-of-21 shooting (81%), the highest single-game total ever by a WNBA rookie. In doing so, she became the first player in league history to record 40+ points while hitting at least 80% of her shots.
She was selected as an All-Star Game starter for Team Collier in 2025 and swept Rookie of the Month honors in June, July, and August.
She was the only player this season to rank inside the league’s top 10 in points, assists, and steals per game.
Became the first rookie ever to average at least 15 points and 5 assists while shooting 45% or better from the field across a season.
Opened her career with 30 straight double-digit scoring games, the fourth-longest such streak in WNBA history.
Joined Dallas teammate Arike Ogunbowale (2019) as the only rookies with multiple 35-point performances.
One of just two rookies to log at least 500 points, 150 assists, 100 rebounds, and 50 steals in a single season – the other being Caitlin Clark in 2024.
Recorded 10 outings with at least 20 points and 5 assists, the second-most ever by a rookie (Clark had 18)
Reached 500 points and 100 assists faster than any rookie before her.
No wonder Caitlin Clark had a piece of advice for the Dallas Wings before Bueckers was picked. “I think she’ll honestly fit right in,” Clark had said. “[College Park Center] is fun to play in, too. It’s a small place, it’s loud. You know honestly, they should move every game to American Airlines because I think Paige has that type of draw. She’ll be able to bring those types of fans in.” And so it made sense that Ms. Buckets got the surprise of her life on The Jennifer Hudson Show when WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert appeared at the end of Hudson’s trademark tunnel walk to present her with the Rookie of the Year trophy.
“…I remember Steph Curry, before the Warriors became the Warriors,” Bueckers said. “He tweeted out like, ‘Just stick with us. We’re going to figure it out.’ That’s the message… I just have this undying belief in it.”
Paige Bueckers, Dallas Poised to Snag 2026 No. 1, Following the Fever Blueprint
Dallas Wings’ bottom-of-the-table finish has a silver lining. Their draft pick is once again on the higher side. According to Tankathon, they are primed to grab the No.1 pick yet again. According to the most recent mock drafts, the No.1 pick is expected to be Lauren Betts, the 6’7 center from UCLA, or Wings could go the Azzi Fudd route, if they get the No.2 pick. Let’s look at the odds of Wings’ picks in 2026.
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Their average draft number of 1.9 almost confirms the acquisition of Fudd or Betts. There is also Olivia Miles to think about. What’s confirmed is that Paige Bueckers will have another phenom alongside her. Very much like Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever, just with the order reversed. In Clark’s case, Aliyah Boston came first in 2023 and set the stage for Clark to burst in. The Fever finished 13-27 in 2023, just 3 wins better than the Wings in 2025. In 2024, they qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
For Dallas, too, the tables could turn in 2026.