Dallas Wings goalkeeper Paige Bueckers was appointed recruit of the year of WNBA 2025, the League announced on Tuesday.
Bueckers is the seventh former UCONN player to win the award, receiving 70 of the 72 first -place votes from a media panel, while Washington’s mystics goalkeeper Sonia Lemon obtained the other two.
Bueckers was selection No. 1 of the April draft after helping the Huskies win their 12th national championship at the beginning of the month.
Beginning in the 36 appearances for Wings, Bueckers collected on average 19.2 points, 5.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 interceptions while pulling 47.4% on the ground and 88.8% of the free throw line. She led all WNBA recruits in total points (692), points per game, assists (194) and assists per game. She was the only WNBA player this season to have finished in the top 10 points, assists and flight flights.
The 44 points of drums against the Los Angeles Sparks on August 20 set a recruit record in a single WNBA match. It made 17 of the 21 shots on the ground (81%), becoming the first player in the history of the WNBA to mark 40 points or more and to draw at least 80% of the field in a match.
The wings went 10-30 and missed the playoffs, but will be again at the repechage lottery next season.
Bueckers joins Diana Taurasi (2004), Tina Charles (2010), Maya Moore (2011), Breanna Stewart (2016), Napheesa Collier (2019) and Crystal Dangerfield (2020) as UCONS players who won this fee.
The Rookie Award has been awarded since 1998, the second year of the WNBA. Bueckers is the 16th draft player No. 1 who was elected recruit of the year.
