By Ben Pickman, Jelani Scott and Chantel Jennings
Connecticut star Paige Bueckers, long considered the presumptive No. 1 pick in next month’s WNBA Draft, will indeed enter the draft after the NCAA Tournament, a program spokesperson said Friday.
Bueckers, 23, is in her fifth season at UConn but has one year of college eligibility remaining. ESPN commentator Rebecca Lobo first reported the news.
The news comes as Bueckers and the No. 2 Huskies prepare to play No. 3 Oklahoma in the Sweet 16 on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET in Birmingham, Ala. The winner will play Sunday against either top-seeded USC or No. 5 Kansas State.
Bueckers had been open about the fact that this would be her final season in the college. “This is my last year to get what I came here for, which is a national championship,” she told The Athletic in June.
In the waning weeks of this season, she has remained consistent in her messaging. Earlier this week, the Huskies, and their fans, celebrated Bueckers after their final game at Gampel Pavilion — a 91-57 win over South Dakota State in which Bueckers tied her career high with 34 points.
“It’s been a dream to play here, a dream to wear this uniform, a dream to play in this environment,” she told the crowd. “As much more times you want this to continue to happen, you just take every single chance you have and never take it for granted.”
The Dallas Wings hold the No. 1 pick in the draft, which will take place April 14, eight days after the women’s NCAA Tournament final.
In theory, Bueckers had an unprecedented amount of leverage. She could have returned to UConn for a sixth season due to COVID-19 eligibility rules. She’s also an equity partner in Unrivaled. Although she could still use her profile to try to land with a preferred destination, she has given no public indication that she wouldn’t want to play for the Wings. How she prepares for what’s next in her career is the question worth watching, not necessarily whether she will turn pro.
For now, Bueckers is still looking to win her first national championship with the Huskies (33-3), who have won 12 consecutive games.
Bueckers’ play in her final season in Storrs has only added to the likelihood she will go No. 1. The 2021 Associated Press Player of the Year and a three-time first-team All-American, Bueckers has averaged 19.2 points and 4.8 assists per game while shooting 41.1 percent from 3-point range. She has also stayed healthy for the second consecutive season after knee injuries limited her to 17 games total in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
While some executives have raised concerns about if she can stay healthy, she is regarded highly among league decision makers.
“Great leader. She’s incredibly poised. She’s prepared, pro-ready and so impressive, on and off the court. A franchise foundational player,” one general manager who was granted anonymity to share their candid opinion of the upcoming draft class told The Athletic.
Said another: “If she can stay healthy, I think she’s an All-Star level talent. She can play with or without the ball which makes her super valuable. She scores at all three levels. She’s big and tall and long enough to survive defensively. I think her offense is better than her defense, but it’s hard to find things not to like about Paige.”
(Photo: Joe Buglewicz / Getty Images)