Paige Bueckers to Enter 2025 WNBA Draft After UConn's NCAA Tournament Run

UConn star Paige Bueckers has confirmed that she will enter the 2025 WNBA draft at the conclusion of the 2024-25 women's college basketball season.

ESPN's Rebecca Lobo broke the news Friday, noting that there had previously been speculation regarding Bueckers playing in the Unrivaled three-on-three basketball league out of college before entering the 2026 WNBA draft.

Bueckers, who is a senior, helped the Huskies advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA women's basketball tournament Monday with a 91-57 win over South Dakota State.

In 2020, Bueckers arrived at Connecticut as one of the top recruits in the nation and she didn't disappoint, winning National Player of the Year honors after averaging 20.0 points, 5.7 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game as a freshman.

Bueckers was limited to 17 games in 2021-22 due to ankle and leg injuries, and she missed the entire 2022-23 campaign after tearing her ACL.

She returned last season and immediately returned to an elite level, averaging 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.4 blocks per contest.

So far this season, Bueckers is averaging 19.2 points on 54.2 percent shooting, along with 4.8 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 2.1 steals for the 33-3 Huskies.

Despite being a No. 2 seed, UConn may be the team to beat in the NCAA tournament, especially considering the state of USC, which is the top seed in USC's region.

Superstar guard JuJu Watkins, who is a leading Player of the Year candidate along with Bueckers, tore her ACL during the Trojans' second-round win over Mississippi State, meaning she will miss the rest of the tourney.

Winning a national title is the one major accomplishment missing from Bueckers' résumé, but she has a golden opportunity to make it happen before turning pro.

The Dallas Wings own the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft, and it will be a shock if they don't use it to select Bueckers.

Since the Wings have finished .500 or worse in eight of the past nine seasons, Bueckers has a big job ahead of her, but she should be up to the task given her impressive skill set and winning track record.

Before the WNBA, Bueckers is focused on finishing her college career on a high note, and the next step on that journey is a Sweet 16 clash with third-seeded Oklahoma on Saturday.