Paige Bueckers continues to generate the buzz even before playing her first official WNBA season game. The No. 1 pick of the 2025 WNBA Draft will suit up for the Dallas Wings later this week on opening day against Napheesa Collier and the Minnesota Lynx. Earlier, she made headlines for being the frontrunner to win ‘Rookie of the Year’ honors.
While much of the focus continues to be on Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever, Bueckers has managed to hold the attention of the GMs of all the franchises. According to a 2025 WNBA GM Survey that went viral, the Wings guard was a 73% favorite to win ROTY. This comes as a massive expectation from a player who has yet to play top-flight competition.
WNBA GMs Back Bueckers to Win 2025 ROTY
The WNBA released an article earlier with predictions ranging from MVP to DPOY and title favorites. Bueckers pipped the competition, as Dominique Malonga (Seattle Storm) and Sonia Citron (Washington Mystics) finished second and third with 18% and 9% of the votes, respectively. However, Malonga beat the former UConn product for the best player in five years, outclassing her 60% to 40%.
On the season front, the Wings will be buoyed by Bueckers’ efficient scoring and skilled passing. She comes into the season as one of the best guards in UConn’s decorated history, averaging 19.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per contest. The numbers, coupled with her skill that some of the GMs and their scouting teams have witnessed up close, make her one of the prime contenders to receive the ROTY nod.
Wings Rookie Gets Candid On Being The No. 1 Pick
Bueckers made her feelings abundantly clear when asked about being the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft class. According to ESPN’s Kendra Andrews, the 23-year-old spoke about not wanting to feel entitled.
“You don’t want to take anything for granted or be entitled to anything, so you want to continue to stay motivated to work,” she said. “So being the first pick or the last pick, it didn’t matter to me. But we’re here now. We’re in Dallas and super excited for the future.”
The Wings had a disappointing 2024 season as they failed to make the playoffs. They head into the new edition with new names at the helm. Wings general manager Curt Miller is in his first year in the role with the franchise after serving significant time in the league as a coach and a GM in the league. The team also has a new defense-first head coach Chris Koclanes leading the charge.
Dallas has made it clear that they will build their identity around Bueckers. Now it remains to be seen how the franchise fares this season with one of the more promising players in their fold.