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Paige Bueckers started her professional basketball journey after being selected with the first overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. The Dallas Wings selected Bueckers and she will prepare to leave her mark on the Texas fandom.
After leading UConn to a national championship and realizing her dream, Bueckers appeared on "Good Morning America" on Wednesday to talk about her next chapter.
Bueckers shared the advice she received from UConn coach Geno Auriemma throughout her career at UConn and now moving to the WNBA. Auriemma told her to embrace the journey, but take everything to another level.
"Just to embrace it, do what’s gotten me there, but obviously up it up another level, but he just always emphasized to me that, ‘Everything’s important, there’s no detail too small, everything impacts winning, everything impacts you as a person, the small things are the big things.’ He’s been emphasizing that my entire career there," Bueckers spoke on the advice.
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The Naismith Hall of Fame coach has sent more players to the WNBA than any other with 50 draft picks after Bueckers, Aubrey Griffin, and Kaitlyn Chen were selected on Monday.
Bueckers is the sixth UConn player to be selected with the first overall pick, joining Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Tina Charles, and Sue Bird.
"The coaching staff and what they built there they produce professionals at all levels and winners," Bueckers said.
Bueckers will enter a new system and organization in Dallas that will be looking for its first championship since its days as the Detroit Shock before moving to Dallas in 2016.
Bueckers signifies a new era for the Dallas Wings under new coaching regime
Paige Bueckers will not be the only new face in Dallas this season. The Wings underwent an overhaul this offseason, which started with the hiring of a new coach and a new general manager in Chris Koclanes and Curt Miller.
The Wings were also an integral piece in a four-team trade this offseason that brought reigning Most Improved Player Dijonai Carrington and Tyasha Harris from the Connecticut Sun. The deal also brought NaLyssa Smith back to Texas from the Indiana Fever. Carrington and Smith both played college basketball at Baylor.
With all of the new pieces, Paige Bueckers could be the perfect franchise player to build the team around. The Dallas Wings will open the season on May 16 against the Minnesota Lynx, but all eyes are already set on when the Wings face the Indiana Fever on June 27.
The battle between Bueckers and Caitlin Clark will certainly be an early showing of the young stars that the WNBA possesses.
