Paige Bueckers named 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year

After putting together one of the best inaugural campaigns in league history, Paige Bueckers was named 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year on Tuesday. Commissioner Cathy Englebert presented her with the award at the Jennifer Hudson Show.

Bueckers received 70 of 72 possible votes from a panel of national sportswriters and broadcasters with Washington Mystics star Sonia Citron picking up the other two. In 36 games, she averaged 19.2 points, 5.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals while shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 33.1 percent from three.

The former UConn star finished fifth in scoring, sixth in steals and ninths in assists across the entire league — the only player to rank in the top 10 in each category this season. She also totaled the third-most points and assists by a rookie in WNBA history, while she set a rookie record with 44 points against the Los Angeles Sparks on Aug. 20 (Cynthia Cooper also put up 44 points during the WNBA’s inaugural season but the league doesn’t consider anyone from that year a rookie).

The Dallas Wings took Bueckers with the first overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft and she immediately made an impact, reaching double-figures in each of her first 30 games. She became the fastest rookie in league history to 500 points and 100 assists, then earned a spot in the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game.

Bueckers is the seventh Husky to be named WNBA Rookie of the Year, joining Diana Taurasi (2004), Tina Charles (2010), Maya Moore (2011), Breanna Stewart (2016), Napheesa Collier (2019) and Crystal Dangerfield (2016).

It’s been quite a year for Bueckers, who won a long-elusive national championship in her final game at UConn back in April while taking home the 2025 Wade Trophy and earning unanimous First Team All-American honors for the third time.