WNBA Rumors: Insider believes conundrum around Paige Bueckers' future caused Sparks to part with No. 2 pick in deal for Kelsey Plum

By Zachary Howell

Modified Feb 06, 2025 06:33 GMT

WNBA: Playoffs-Las Vegas Aces at New York Liberty - Source: Imagn — Kelsey Plum's recent move to the LA Sparks might have been affected by one of the top prospects in this year's draft. - Source: Imagn

Paige Bueckers might have been one of the biggest factors in the trade that sent WNBA star Kelsey Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks, according to an insider.

According to Alexa Philipou, a women's basketball reporter for ESPN, the top players in women's college basketball, including UConn's Paige Bueckers and Notre Dame's Olivia Miles, are considering using their last year of availability to avoid this year's WNBA draft and stay at their respective schools.

ESPN's Elle Duncan and Gary Striewski discussed Philipou's report and suggested that these rumors are likely why the Sparks decided to part with the No. 2 pick.

Duncan broke down why the Sparks decided to part with an extremely valuable asset, saying:

"Part of the reason why the Sparks were so willing to trade away that number two overall pick is that there's some whispers that maybe Paige Bueckers will use that other year of eligibility and stay in college."

The rumors surrounding the top college players potentially deciding to stay at the college level instead of entering the 2025 WNBA draft have been swirling for a while. The Dallas Wings have the top overall selection in this year's draft, but there have been suggestions that Paige Bueckers, the likely No. 1 selection, will pass on becoming a pro to avoid playing for the Wings.

As the draft grows closer, more top collegiate players have been rumored to be considering doing the same in the hopes that a different team will secure the top overall pick in next year's draft. The Wings aren't a poorly run organization by any means, but their current standing in the league could be why Bueckers and others are reportedly hesitant to join them.

Why would Paige Bueckers and others decide to stay at school instead of going to the WNBA?

With the emergence of name, image and likeness (NIL) deals in the college sports world, prospects can make millions of dollars in brand deals. Because of that, professional leagues like the WNBA may not be as attractive to Paige Bueckers and others as they might have been in the past.

Bueckers currently has NIL deals worth more than $1.4 million (per On3), which is far more than the contract she would receive from the WNBA, even as a top pick.

About the author

Zachary Howell is an NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda with a degree in Broadcast and Digital Journalism from Syracuse University and over a year of experience in the field.

Being introduced to the digital side of content inspired Zachary to become a writer, and his love of basketball made this an obvious transition.

His favorite team is the OKC Thunder, and Zachary started following them in 2011 when they were on the rise with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. His favorite basketball players from the past are Tim Duncan, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal. Those three came to define their eras of basketball and were dominant without beating their chests too much. Zachary is a big fan of quiet greatness and these three players are good embodiments of that.

When not writing or watching sports, Zachary enjoys reading and exercising, as well as gaming. He loves to be outside and spend time with friends and family, including his three dogs.

Know More

Edited by Zachary Howell