Dallas Wings standout Paige Bueckers clinched the WNBA Rookie of the Year title following an exceptional inaugural season in the league. The announcement, made by the WNBA, revealed that Bueckers secured 70 out of 72 votes from sports journalists and broadcasters. The remaining two votes went to Sonia Citron of the Washington Mystics.
Bueckers, who made headlines last spring by leading UConn to its 12th national championship before being selected as the top overall draft pick, shined brightly despite her team’s challenging 10-34 record. Recognized as the AP Rookie of the Year, she boasted impressive stats, averaging 19.2 points, shooting at a 47.7% accuracy rate, and contributing 3.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.6 steals per game.
Beyond the statistics, Bueckers set notable records, including being the third-highest scoring WNBA rookie with 692 points and 194 assists. A standout moment was her 44-point performance in a game against the Los Angeles Sparks on August 20, the highest point total by any player in the WNBA that season and a record for a rookie. She also achieved another milestone by becoming the first player in league history to score 40 or more points while shooting 80% in a single game.
While Bueckers’ Rookie of the Year title was anticipated, the presentation of the award came as a surprise during her appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert interrupted Bueckers’ walk through the Spirit Tunnel on the show to present her with the 2025 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year Award, much to Bueckers’ delight and the crew’s applause.
Before her remarkable WNBA debut, Bueckers had already made a significant impact at UConn, where she earned multiple accolades, including being named the national player of the year as a freshman and becoming a three-time All-American. Her career faced a setback due to a torn ACL, which sidelined her for the 2022-23 season after playing only 17 games in her second year.