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Dallas Wings star NaLyssa Smith welcomed the draft class of 2025 to the team with a post on Instagram. On Wednesday, Smith shared a group photo of the new rookies, including UConn alumna Paige Bueckers, to her IG story.
"Yea rooksss," she captioned the post.
The Wings selected five college prospects in this year's draft, with Bueckers as their top pick. Others are NC State guard Aziaha James (No. 12), Ole Miss star Madison Scott (No. 14), West Virginia guard JJ Quinerly (No. 26) and Baylor center Aaronette Vonleh (No. 30).
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Paige Bueckers, the highest-rated prospect this year, enters the league off the back of a successful senior year in college. She lifted the national championship with the Huskies and won numerous accolades, such as the prestigious Wade Trophy.
She was named the 2025 Nancy Lieberman National Point Guard of the Year while being included in the WBCA, AP and USBWA First Team All-America. The 23-year-old also led UConn with 19.9 points per game and 176 total assists last season.
All five players have now signed a rookie-scale contract with Dallas, and their new teammate NaLyssa Smith is pleased to have them on board.
How NaLyssa Smith can complement Paige Bueckers' game with the Wings next season
The Dallas Wings will feature one of the youngest rosters in the WNBA next season. In the offseason, they acquired a group of young and veteran players with a mix of championship and playoff experience. The franchise brought in DiJonai Carrington, NaLyssa Smith, Tyasha Harris and Myisha Hines-Allen in a four-team trade in February this year.
Standing at 6-foot-4, Smith has averaged double-digit scoring in each of the past three seasons. Last year, she posted 10.6 points and 7.1 rebounds while playing for the Indiana Fever. Although she had an underwhelming season in 2024, she brings elite ball-handling to the Wings, which provides Paige Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale someone to play off of.
Additionally, Smith can complement Bueckers' offensive abilities with her improved defensive play. Over the last three seasons, her defensive rating has steadily increased from 106.2 in 2022 to 110.1 in 2024.
While these may seem modest, NaLyssa is only 24 and still has time to hone her skills in that area. As such, Bueckers will have a teammate with playoff experience and defensive awareness backing her up in her rookie year.
