Paige Bueckers named 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year after record-breaking season
TOI World Desk | TOI Global Desk | Sep 17, 2025, 00:36 IST
Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers has been crowned the 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year, earning 70 of 72 votes from a national panel. The former UConn star averaged 19.2 points and 5.4 assists, broke scoring records, and cemented herself as a cornerstone for the Wings despite their 10-34 finish.
The Dallas Wings Standout guard Paige Bueckers has been named the rookie of the year, which came as no surprise. Bueckers is the second player from the wings to win the award, following Alisha Grey, who won it in 2017.
On Tuesday, the league announced Bueckers earned 70 of the 72 votes from sports writers and broadcasters, while the other two went to Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert presented the 23-year-old with the trophy ahead of an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show.
The former UConn guard averaged 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.6 steals across 36 games she played this season. Bueckers' rookie season is definitely one for the record books as she established new benchmarks in the league. She posted 44 points against the LA Sparks on August 20, which marks the highest single-game scoring performance ever by a rookie.
Bueckers closed her rookie season with 692 points and 194 assists, the third most points and assists by a rookie in WNBA history. Bueckers' 30-game double-digit scoring streak is the third longest in WNBA history, ranking below Aja Wilson (33 games, 2018) and cadance parker (32 games, 2008)
Paige Bueckers went as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft after winning the national championship for the UConn Huskies in March. Bueckers' stats were one of the greatest rookie numbers the league has ever seen. Bueckers' points per game rank eighth in league history among rookies, while her assists per game stand seventh overall.
It’s difficult to exaggerate Buecker's brilliance; her resumes speak for itself. Bueckers won multiple awards and accolades both in college and high school. She was ranked the No.1 women’s player in 2020 and got scouted by coach Geno to lead UConn to its 12th national championship. Despite Bueckers' standout performance, the Dallas Wings finished 10-34, sharing the league's worst record with the Chicago Sky.
Having finished her rookie campaign with phenomenal stats, Bueckers has firmly established herself as one of the league's standout talents and a cornerstone of the Wings' future.
On Tuesday, the league announced Bueckers earned 70 of the 72 votes from sports writers and broadcasters, while the other two went to Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert presented the 23-year-old with the trophy ahead of an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show.
The former UConn guard averaged 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.6 steals across 36 games she played this season. Bueckers' rookie season is definitely one for the record books as she established new benchmarks in the league. She posted 44 points against the LA Sparks on August 20, which marks the highest single-game scoring performance ever by a rookie.
Bueckers closed her rookie season with 692 points and 194 assists, the third most points and assists by a rookie in WNBA history. Bueckers' 30-game double-digit scoring streak is the third longest in WNBA history, ranking below Aja Wilson (33 games, 2018) and cadance parker (32 games, 2008)
Paige Bueckers went as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft after winning the national championship for the UConn Huskies in March. Bueckers' stats were one of the greatest rookie numbers the league has ever seen. Bueckers' points per game rank eighth in league history among rookies, while her assists per game stand seventh overall.
It’s difficult to exaggerate Buecker's brilliance; her resumes speak for itself. Bueckers won multiple awards and accolades both in college and high school. She was ranked the No.1 women’s player in 2020 and got scouted by coach Geno to lead UConn to its 12th national championship. Despite Bueckers' standout performance, the Dallas Wings finished 10-34, sharing the league's worst record with the Chicago Sky.
Having finished her rookie campaign with phenomenal stats, Bueckers has firmly established herself as one of the league's standout talents and a cornerstone of the Wings' future.