Paige Bueckers 'So Excited' About Joining Wings After Going No. 1 in 2025 WNBA Draft

Paige Bueckers has been projected to be the top pick in the WNBA Draft for months now, but the Dallas Wings made it official on Monday.

After being selected by the Wings, Bueckers sent a message to all the fans of her new team.

"Dallas, I'm so excited," Bueckers said. "Just a new city, new start, a fresh start. I'm excited, let's get it."

She also said she has high hopes for the future in Dallas.

"I know we're going to do great things," she said. "It's a fresh start and I think we're all ready to do something special. Just extremely grateful that they took the pick on me."

While Bueckers was a clear lock to go first overall coming into draft night, her journey to the WNBA hasn't been easy. She started her college career strong by winning Player of the Year honors as a freshman, living up to the lofty expectations she had when she joined UConn.

She was thrown a major wrench when she suffered a torn ACL before her junior year, forcing her to miss the entirety of the 2022-23 season. But Bueckers ultimately came back stronger for her final two seasons and willed the Huskies to a national title in 2025.

"Everybody's invested a lot in me and part of me wanted to give back to them and show them that I can be better and all their hard work helped me get to this stage," Bueckers said. "I didn't do it alone, it took a village. So, I'm extremely grateful to them."

The Wings struggled a year ago, going 9-31, but the poor season led to them getting Bueckers with the No. 1 pick. Now, Bueckers will try to help turn the franchise around starting her rookie year.