UConn makes basketball history by having alumni win NBA and WNBA Rookie of the Year in the same year.
SAN ANTONIO — The University of Connecticut can now boast that it has made pro-basketball history, thanks to alumni San Antonio Spurs‘ guard Stephon Castle and the WNBA’s Paige Bueckers.
The Wings player captured the 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year Award, joining Castle, who won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award last season.
UConn is now the only college to have both an NBA and WNBA Rookie of the Year in the same calendar year, marking the second time this has occurred. The last time UConn accomplished this rare feat was in 2004-05 with Emeka Okafor and Diana Taurasi.
In his rookie campaign, Castle averaged 11.7 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.2 rebounds and participated in the NBA Rising Stars Game, capturing the game’s MVP Award. Bueckers posted 19.2 points, 5.4 assists, and 3.9 rebounds for the Wings. She was also named a WNBA All-Star.
CASTLE JOINS THE SAN ANTONIO FIRE DEPARTMENT… SORT OF
Castle lent some of his offseason time to help spread awareness and educate the local community on how to prevent cooking fires with the San Antonio Fire Department.
The Spurs guard snapped photos with the members of the SAFD and got into full fire department gear, holding an extinguisher in hand.