WNBA analyst predicts shocking Paige Bueckers trade possibility 

Months away from the 2025 WNBA draft in April, UConn star Paige Bueckers is viewed as the consensus No. 1 pick. Now that the lottery results have been revealed, one analyst pondered the idea of her working her way to a different team.

Last month, the WNBA held its annual lottery to decide the order for the upcoming draft. After finishing with the second-worst record in the league last season, the Dallas Wings find themselves with the top pick in the 2025 draft.

With the No. 1 pick, the Wings are in a prime position to select Paige Bueckers to build around for the future. However, analyst Sabreena Merchant discussed the leverage the UConn star has. If she doesn't want to wind up there, she could return to school for another year or simply request a trade upon entering the pros.

"If she decides against playing for the Wings — and the buzz around the league is that Dallas was not her preferred destination — she could exert whatever levers she can to get where she wants as soon as possible."

"Whether that’s because she is chasing a national championship, prefers a different draft destination or wants to delay her pro career until the institution of a new WNBA collective bargaining agreement, there are incentives to play one more season with the Huskies. Even if Bueckers elects to go pro, she could simply demand a trade."

Bueckers continues to be one of the top players in women's college basketball. This season, she is averaging 20.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.1 steals.

---

Paige Bueckers posts on Instagram following UConn's win over Iowa State

While many people are looking to the future with Paige Bueckers, she seems to be enjoying what could be her final college season. Following her latest performance, she gave a glimpse of where she's at mentally amid all the No. 1 pick buzz.

After losing their first game of the season last to Notre Dame, UConn has managed to get things back on track. They took the floor against Iowa State and Tuesday and were able to win convincingly (101-68).

Coming off this dominant victory, Paige Bueckers took to Instagram to share a message with the world. Along with posting a bible verse, the star guard stated that she is remaining present and not looking ahead to what's next yet.

Bueckers put together one of her best performances of the season in Tuesday's win over Iowa State. In 29 minutes of action, she posted a stat line of 27 points, two rebounds and two assists. What stood out most was her efficiency, shooting 66.7% from the field and 71.4% from beyond the arc.

Based on her somewhat cryptic caption, it appears Bueckers isn't putting much thought into her future for the time being.