UConn star Paige Bueckers is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft on Monday once the Dallas Wings officially go on the clock.
Bueckers leads the 2025 class that is set to embark on a journey to the pros. She was one of the best players in women’s college basketball last season and finished her collegiate career achieving the one goal that eluded her during her collegiate career – a national championship.
She was the first player to ever earn AP Player of the Year honors in her freshman season. However, injuries hampered much of her college days. When she was finally healthy, the Huskies were on top.
“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.”
Bueckers’ salary was a talking point in the days leading up to the draft. She is set to make as much as Caitlin Clark made when she entered the WNBA with the Indiana Fever – just over $78,800. She signed a deal with the offseason Unrivaled league, according to multiple reports. The average salary at Unrivaled in its initial season was more than $220,000.
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While Bueckers is the focus of the draft, there are plenty of top women’s basketball players who fans should keep an eye on.
TCU’s Hailey Van Lith is one of them. She played for Louisville, LSU and TCU during her collegiate career. She was an All-American who averaged 15.2 points and 3.4 assists per game.
French Olympian Dominique Malonga, USC center Kiki Iriafen, Noter Dame’s Sonia Citron, LSU’s Aneesah Morrow, Maryland’s Shyanne Sellers, Lithuanian star Juste Jocyte, Kentucky’s Georgia Amoore and N.C. State’s Saniya Rivers are also among those who could be selected within the first 10 selections.
The Golden State Valkyries will participate in the draft for the first time. The Valkyries are the newest team in the WNBA. Tiffany Hayes, Stephanie Talbot and Kayla Thornton are among the veterans on the team. Clark’s former Fever teammate Temi Fagbenle and former Iowa teammate Kate Martin are also on the roster.
The WNBA Draft begins at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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