“She didn’t seem thrilled”: NCAA analyst reasons why Paige Bueckers might not pull an “Eli Manning move”

NCAA analyst Robin Lundberg spoke about the persistent rumors circulating about Paige Bueckers refusing to play for the Dallas Wings if she gets drafted by them at this year's WNBA Draft.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Lundberg didn't give much credence to the rumors and said he couldn't see Bueckers snubbing the Wings.

"She didn't seem thrilled, I'll say that," he said (7:23 onwards). "When the lottery happened and it wasn't the Sparks and it wound up being the Wings, she didn't seem thrilled. But if I had to bet, if I had to predict, if I had to guess, my gut tells me that Paige isn't going to do that."

"But I'm sharing it with you because someone who's been doing this a long time doesn't think the same or hasn't heard the same at least. I'm betting against it."

Lundberg made the point that Bueckers hasn't actually said anything about this and It's all speculation.

"She [Bueckers] said this was her last year at UConn, so let's give her words some merit here rather than, you know, free agency time and all that is the time for rumors and speculation and all that to get thrown into the universe, thrown out there for discussion, you know, discussed back and forth." Timestamp: 6:25

"But there's been no actual indication from Paige that this could be the case. The implication is from what those around the league are saying. So, to sum up, if Paige were to do this, I guess maybe she's backlash-proof at this point, but one would think that move would come with backlash for a player."

Paige Bueckers set to return to play this week

UConn stayed strong last week, going 2-0 in the absence of Paige Bueckers, who was sidelined with a left knee sprain. The Huskies secured two important Big East wins during her recovery.

Bueckers is set to return this week as UConn continues conference play, taking on St. John’s on the road and hosting Seton Hall at home. Her return comes as the Huskies climb to No. 6 in the AP Top 25 Poll, following Texas' drop after a loss to South Carolina.

With Paige Bueckers back in action, UConn is ready to continue their dominant performance and strengthen their position atop the Big East standings.