Paging Dr. Bueckers… Okay, WNBA rookie Paige Bueckers isn’t really a doctor, but she plays one on TV. On the basketball court, she operates with a surgeon’s precision. Her scalpel is an orange and white basketball. She meticulously stitches the ball between defenders with sudden and sharp cuts, slicing through the hearts of opponents, one basket at a time.
On Monday, her hard work was rewarded when it was announced that she had been chosen as the 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year. Bueckers had a very productive rookie campaign, averaging over 19 points, dishing out 5.4 assists, and grabbing almost four rebounds a game.
UConn Do It, Paige
The Minnesota native was a highly touted five-star recruit from Hopkins High School. She decided to hone her craft at basketball Mecca, the University of Connecticut, under the tutelage of Hall of Fame head coach Geno Auriemma. While at UConn, Bueckers won a bucketful of individual accolades, including National Women’s Player of the Year, as a freshman, and finished her senior year by capping off her college career by leading the Huskies to the 2025 National Championship.
Bueckers is widely known for her unselfish play. Her quickness and agility as a 6-foot-tall point guard make her virtually unguardable. She has a pass-first mentality with a very effective mid-range game, with the versatility and tenacity to play any position on the court. Her trademark pull-up jumper has earned her the nickname “Paige Buckets.” These intangibles inspired the Dallas Wings to select “Buckets” with the first overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft.
WNBA Stardom
Bueckers has drawn comparisons to former UConn and WNBA stars Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird. She has claimed to model her playing style after NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and Taurasi. Her former college coach, Auriemma, compares her to former Husky and current New York Liberty power forward Breanna Stewart.
She made her professional debut on May 16, 2025, with a promising 10-point performance against her hometown team, the Minnesota Lynx. She would record her first career double-double just five days later, scoring 12 points to go with her 10 rebounds, also against the Lynx. May 27, in her return to Connecticut, she dropped 21 points and 7 dimes in front of a packed house of faithful UConn fans cheering her on, despite being on the opposing side.
Husky fans never forget their own… but more on that later. In June, Paige would dump 35 points on the Phoenix Mercury, posting a new career high… She earned Rookie of the Month honors for June and became the eighth rookie ever selected to start an WNBA All-Star Game. Before too long, Bueckers became the fastest player in the league’s history to tally 200 points, 50 rebounds, and 50 assists.
With averages of 18 points, 5.2 assists, and 1.8 steals per game, Bueckers took home July’s Rookie of the Month award. She broke the Wings rookie assist record by dishing out her 143rd dime of the season in a loss to the Los Angeles Sparks. She became the fastest WNBA player to reach 500 points and 100 assists.
On August 20, Bueckers and the Wings suffered a nail-biting 81-80 loss to the Sparks. Despite the loss, Paige broke the record for most points by a WNBA rookie in a game, dropping 44 that night. Her scoring clinic would be the tenth-highest single-game point total in league history.
She had a streak of 30 straight games with double-digit scoring. She would add another Rookie of the Month award in August, becoming the tenth player to win the award three times. Despite her best efforts, her Dallas Wings finished dead last in the WNBA Western Conference with a 10-34 record.
Turn the Paige
Bueckers played 36 games in her rookie campaign. She was the only player this season to score 40+ points in a game and was ranked in the top ten in points (19.2), assists (5.4), and steals (1.6) per game. She registered the third-most points (692), assists (194), and field goals per game (7.2) by a rookie in WNBA history. She had the most games with 20+ points while shooting 50% from the field.
As a Connecticut resident, living in UConn country, I have had the privilege of watching her journey and growth as a player, through adversity and injury. Her infectious smile and love of the game have made her one of the most beloved players in UConn history. Though she is from Minnesota, Connecticut has adopted her as one of our own. We laughed with her, we cried with her, we celebrated with her… She may be the WNBA Rookie of the Year, but she is OUR MVP.
THE DOCTOR WILL SEE YOU NOW.
