Paige Bueckers made her WNBA preseason debut on Friday night after being selected No. 1 overall by the Dallas Wings.
Despite the Wings’ 112–78 loss to the Las Vegas Aces, Bueckers showed promise, finishing with 10 points, four rebounds, and one assist on 4-of-7 shooting in just 22 minutes of action.
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She noted the speed and overall talent of the WNBA as a major adjustment from college, emphasizing how quick the transition can be for women’s players entering the league. After wrapping up her season at UConn just a month ago and being drafted on April 14, Bueckers has only had a couple of weeks to get acclimated to her new teammates and system — a process that takes time.
Still, her impact as a Husky continues to be recognized. On Monday, UConn announced that Bueckers has been awarded the Honda Sports Award, which honors the top female collegiate athlete of the year.
Huskies fans reacted to the news:
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“Can’t even fit her accolades in one screenshot on Wikipedia and she’s played 1 game in the W,” a fan said.
“Something about seeing her in the uniform, being posted by the UConn page again,” another fan posted.
Someone else added, “my goat.”
One more fan commented, “Seeing her in a UConn jersey feels nostalgic and it was only a month ago.”
Paige Bueckers is interviewed by ESPN after the Dallas Wings select her with the first pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft at The Shed.Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Bueckers spent five years at UConn, but her journey was far from smooth. She suffered a torn ACL that sidelined her for the entire 2022 season, forcing her to miss a critical year of development and competition.
However, she made a strong return in 2023 and capped off her remarkable collegiate career in storybook fashion. In her fifth and final season, Bueckers led UConn to a national championship victory over South Carolina and averaged 19.9 points, 4.6 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per game.
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