University of Connecticut star Paige Bueckers is planning to go pro in 2025. Bueckers will reportedly declare for the 2025 WNBA Draft, squashing rumors suggesting she could wait another season before joining the league.
Former WNBA star and current ESPN broadcaster Rebecca Lobo spoke to Bueckers, who told the network she was entering the draft.
That shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. Bueckers, 23, is the consensus No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. Every analyst projected the Dallas Wings to make Bueckers the top pick in the April draft.
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While that was always the most likely scenario, speculation emerged suggesting Bueckers could play in Unrivaled for a year before going to the WNBA in 2026. With the WNBA collective-bargaining agreement up, analyst Howard Megdal of The IX newsletter outlined a scenario in which Bueckers could delay her WNBA plans until the league and players came to an agreement on a new deal.
In that scenario, Bueckers could opt to play in Unrivaled for a year while the WNBA and players discussed a new CBA. Bueckers has an equity stake in Unrivaled, so drawing more attention to the league would be beneficial for her. And by waiting a year to join the WNBA, Bueckers could presumably get a better rookie contract if the players negotiate for higher salaries in the new CBA.
Megdal never reported that would happen, merely outlined the scenario. That was enough to create some minor confusion over whether Bueckers would actually put her name in the 2025 WNBA Draft.
She’s more than ready to make the leap. Bueckers averaged 19.2 points and 4.8 assists for the Huskies as a senior, and has been a promising WNBA prospect for years now.
She has the ability to drastically alter the future of a WNBA franchise, which is why the Wings won’t hesitate to make her the No. 1 overall pick in April.
