Geno Auriemma tears up as Paige Bueckers becomes the No. 1 draft pick for the Dallas Wings

Geno Auriemma got emotional as he watched Paige Bueckers become the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft on Monday night. Just Women's Sports posted a video on Instagram of the coach with tears welling up in his eyes after the Dallas Wings selected his former player.

Geno Auriemma and Azzi Fudd traveled to New York to support Paige Bueckers as she embarked on the next step in her basketball career. Auriemma and Fudd both embraced the UConn legend after her name was called in the draft.

Bueckers' selection comes just a week after she led the UConn Huskies to their 12th national championship. She flourished in her final NCAA Tournament, averaging 24.8 points, 4.0 boards, 3.3 dimes, 2.8 steals and 1.3 blocks through six games in this year's March Madness.

Bueckers scored at least 30 points thrice in her final Big Dance, including a 40-point explosion against Oklahoma in the Sweet 16. She left Storrs as one of the Huskies' all-time greats, amassing 2,439 points, 579 rebounds, 561 assists, 258 steals, and 104 blocks.

WNBA teams select three players from Geno Auriemma's UConn in the 2025 draft

It wasn't just Paige Bueckers who got selected from UConn's championship team on draft night. Aubrey Griffin and Kaitlyn Chen were both picked in the third round to make it 3-for-3 for coach Geno Auriemma in the 2025 WNBA Draft.

The Golden State Valkyries selected Chen with the 30th overall pick. She joined fellow draftees Juste Jocyte and Shyanne Sellers as Golden State's newest players. The Valkyries are the league's latest expansion team.

UConn Huskies' Kaitlyn Chen (#20), Paige Bueckers (#5) and forward Aubrey Griffin (#44) pose for a photo after their Elite Eight game against the USC Trojans in the 2025 NCAA Tournament at Spokane Arena. Photo: Imagn

Chen was a vital cog for the Huskies, averaging 6.9 points, 3.4 assists, 1.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals through 40 games in the 2024-25 season. The former Princeton star stepped up for UConn in the Elite Eight win against USC, scoring 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting.

The Minnesota Lynx then selected Griffin with the 37th overall pick. She joined fellow draftees Anastasiia Kosu and Dalayah Daniels as Minnesota's newest players.

Griffin averaged 4.4 points, 3.4 boards and 0.9 assists through 16 games in her final collegiate season with the Huskies. She played limited minutes in UConn's March Madness run, averaging 2.0 points and 2.2 rebounds through five games in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.