Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers has been named the 2025 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year, the league announced Tuesday.Bueckers secured 70 of 72 votes from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters,with Washington mystics guard Sonia Citron receiving the remaining two votes.
Bueckers’s extraordinary debut season saw her average 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds,5.4 assists, and 1.6 steals while shooting 47.7% from the field. she finished with 692 total points and 194 assists, the third-highest totals for a WNBA rookie.
On August 20, Bueckers scored a league-high and rookie-record 44 points against the los Angeles Sparks, achieving the feat on 80% shooting. She also embarked on a 30-game streak of scoring in double figures, the third-longest too begin a career in WNBA history, trailing only A’ja Wilson (33 games in 2018) and Candace Parker (32 games in 2008).
The proclamation came as a surprise to Bueckers while she was walking through the “Spirit Tunnel” before an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert presented her with the award, saying, ”I bet I’m the last person you thought you’d see on this cool spirit tunnel… But I’m here to present you with the 2025 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year Award. Congratulations.”
Bueckers was the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft after leading UConn to its 12th national championship.At UConn, she was a consensus national player of the year as a freshman and a three-time All-American. She overcame a torn ACL that sidelined her during the 2022-23 season, playing only 17 games in her second season.Despite the Wings’ 10-34 record, Bueckers proved to be a key player for the team.
AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
