Geno Auriemma pokes fun at Dallas Wings with hilarious advice on Paige Bueckers

Paige Bueckers will have a new coach in Chris Koclanes after the Dallas Wings selected her with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft at The Shed on Monday night.

ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo asked Geno Auriemma what's the best piece of advice he could give to Koclanes if the Dallas Wings coach calls him about Bueckers.

The legendary UConn coach drew some laughs from the broadcast team with his opening answer.

"Pretend that everything’s OK," Auriemma said.

Auriemma provided helpful tips about coaching Bueckers, who became one of the all-time greats at UConn under his leadership.

"Be ready for her to challenge you and you should challenge her. She’s gonna be a risk-taker and you gonna have to live with some of the risks because most times, they actually pay off.

"And at the end of the day, just keep in mind, she wants to win as much as you do. And she’ll spend more time in the gym than you do. So it’s a home run for both of them," Auriemma added.

The Dallas Wings won the Paige Bueckers sweepstakes after finishing the 2024 season with a 9-31 record. The Los Angeles Sparks had the worst record in the league last season, with an 8-32 slate, but luck favored the Wings in the WNBA Draft Lottery.

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Paige Bueckers and Aziaha James lead Dallas Wings' rookie haul during 2025 WNBA draft

The Dallas Wings bolstered their lineup for the 2025 season, getting five talented rookies during this year's draft. They struck gold with their selection of Paige Bueckers, who is fresh off winning a national championship with the UConn Huskies.

Bueckers dazzled in her final season at UConn, averaging 19.9 points, 4.6 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 2.1 steals per contest. She stepped it up a notch during the 2025 NCAA Tournament, averaging 24.8 points, 4.0 boards, 3.3 dimes and 2.8 steals per game.

Paige Bueckers is interviewed after being selected first overall by the Dallas Wings during the 2025 WNBA Draft at The Shed on April 14, 2025 in New York City. Photo: Getty

The Wings added Aziaha James with their 12th overall pick in the first round. She averaged 17.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists for the NC State Wolfpack last season.

Madison Scott joined Bueckers and James in the second round after Dallas had selected the Ole Miss star with the 14th overall pick. Scott averaged 11.8 points, 5.1 boards and 3.7 dimes for the Rebels last season.

Dallas completed its draft night by selecting West Virginia's JJ Quinerly and Baylor's Aaronette Vonleh in the third round.