Bueckers is the first Minnesota-born basketball player to be selected No. 1 overall in either the NBA or WNBA.
NEW YORK — As expected, the Dallas Wings selected former Hopkins High School star Paige Bueckers with the top pick in Monday’s WNBA Draft.
The pick, which was predicted when she declared for the draft in March, makes Bueckers the first Minnesota-born basketball player to be picked No. 1 overall in either the NBA or WNBA.
The versatile UConn star is the latest Huskies standout to go No. 1, joining former greats Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore and Breanna Stewart.
“Dallas I’m so excited, a new city, a new start,” Bueckers said. “A fresh start, so let’s get it.”
Bueckers has had a whirlwind week since helping UConn win its 12th national championship on April 6. She has split her time between New York and Connecticut doing morning and nighttime talk shows. On Sunday, she took part in the Huskies’ championship parade.
Her UConn teammates, who have meant so much to her, and coach Geno Auriemma were in attendance at the draft, which was held at The Shed in New York with hundreds of fans in attendance. Bueckers choked up when talking about her former Huskies teammates.
“They mean everything to me. They helped me get through highs and lows,” Bueckers said.
Bueckers also signed a three-year deal with Unrivaled, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because no official announcement had been made. Bueckers had a name, image and likeness deal with the 3-on-3 league in its inaugural year this past winter that gave her equity in the league.
Her first-year salary for the 10-week Unrivaled season will be more than what she would make in her four-year rookie WNBA contract. The average salary at Unrivaled was more than $220,000 and her four-year WNBA deal’s base salary would be just under $350,000.
ESPN first reported the Unrivaled deal.
Bueckers has been enjoying the moment since the storybook ending to her college career. Bueckers’ life won’t slow down after being selected No. 1 overall.
Bueckers will head to Texas to do appearances and get ready for training camp that begins on April 27. She’ll be in the spotlight trying to revitalize the Dallas franchise. Her No. 5 jersey is expected to be one of the top sellers in the WNBA this upcoming season.
The 23-year-old guard has been in the spotlight since her high school days in Minnesota. She’s been one of the most popular players ever since she stepped foot in Storrs, Connecticut, in 2021.
Bueckers burst onto the scene as a freshman in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. She became the first player ever to earn AP Player of the Year honors in her first year. Then injuries hampered her next two years before she finally was healthy again.
“It was a journey of resilience, of overcoming adversity,” she said. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world just because it became such a beautiful story and a remarkable journey of ups and downs, highs and lows, of keeping the faith, of working extremely hard, and I really wouldn’t trade it.”
Her name, image and likeness valuations are among the top for women’s basketball players. She has deals with major sponsors Nike, Gatorade, Verizon and Dunkin’ Donuts. She added Ally Financial last week.
It’s something that none of the previous UConn greats such as Rebecca Lobo, Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Maya Moore and Breanna Stewart had when they entered the WNBA.
On the court, Bueckers has been one of the most efficient players in college basketball during her time at UConn. She finished her career shooting over 53% from the field, 42% from behind the 3-point line and 85% from the free throw line.
“It’s going to be fun to watch her because I expect a similar efficiency from her at the pro level,” ESPN analyst Lobo said. “I actually think it will be good if her efficiency is down a little bit because that means she’s hunting shots more, which is kind of what she has the ability to do and what we saw especially throughout the course of the Big East and NCAA Tournaments.
“But she’s a special talent who can just get where she wants to get and once she gets there, hit her shots at a ridiculously high efficiency.”