Paige Bueckers might take the Eli Manning route in WNBA Draft, claims WNBA analyst

UConn women's basketball star, Paige Bueckers has been projected as the top pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft by many basketball fans and experts. The Huskies guard who is in the final season of her collegiate basketball career will likely join the Dallas Wings who hold the top selection in this year's draft.

However, there are some reports coming out that the UConn superstar may not agree to go to Dallas. Howard Megdal, WNBA analyst, revealed that Bueckers may go "full Eli Manning" in reference to Manning's 2004 NFL Draft night trade.

"I have reported over at the IX newsletter that there is a widely held belief around the league that she is going to go full Eli Manning," Megdal said in an interview on The Hoffman Women's Sport podcast on Tuesday.

Manning was the top QB prospect from Ole Miss. But he refused to join the then-San Diego Chargers, who had the first pick in the NFL Draft that year. Instead, he was traded to the New York Giants for the No. 4 pick Philip Rivers on draft night.

Paige Bueckers remains quiet about joining Dallas Wings in the WNBA

UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) moves the ball against USC Trojans guard Avery Howell (23) - Source: Imagn

Amidst all the reports about UConn star Paige Bueckers joining the Dallas Wings as the WNBA Draft No. 1 prospect, the Huskies star player has remained generally quiet about the draft process. This has added to the speculation that she may change her mind. She also admitted that she did not watch Dallas winning the lottery.

"People think I'm lying. I actually didn't watch it. It was giving me too much anxiety," she said per The Mirror. "Whatever was going to happen was going to happen, so I just let things unfold."

If Bueckers does decide to play for the Dallas Wings, she would be joining forces with point guard, Arike Ogunbowale, a four-time All-Star and former scoring champion. Ogunbowale joined the Wings after being drafted fifth overall in 2019.

Meanwhile, the UConn star continues to thrive in her collegiate career, averaging 19.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game this season to lead the Huskies to a 15-2 record (6-0 in the Big East Conference).