• Loading stock data...
Thursday, September 4, 2025
Fox Analyst and Media Entrepreneur Greg Olsen to Speak at Tuned In Get your ticket now!

Dallas Wings Secure No. 1 WNBA Pick Projected to be Paige Bueckers

A lot can still change before the WNBA Draft in April, which follows the 2024–2025 NCAA season.

David Butler II-Imagn Images

The Dallas Wings will select No. 1 in the 2025 WNBA Draft after winning Sunday’s draft lottery. 

There was a 45.4% chance for the Wings, who finished 9–31 last season, to walk away with the No. 1 pick, with 22.7% coming from their own pick and another 22.7% coming from the selection of the Chicago Sky, as Dallas owned a pick swap.

The second pick will be made by the Los Angeles Sparks, who would have held the best odds at 44.2%, if not for the pick swap. The Sky secured the third pick, and the Washington Mystics, who had just a 10.4% chance at the top pick, settled for the fourth pick. 

The Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA expansion franchise that debuts next season, hold the fifth overall pick.

The Paige Bueckers Draft

While the WNBA draft won’t take place until April, and follows a full NCAA women’s basketball season, the Wings are expected to select University of Connecticut star Paige Bueckers with the first pick. The 23-year-old can play both guard positions and would provide a needed boost for a Wings squad that has been searching for a backcourt mate for several years to complement star scorer Arike Ogunbowale.

It’s unlikely Bueckers can replicate the fanfare that followed Caitlin Clark, but she still projects as a massive draw for the WNBA and Dallas given her exciting play style, longevity in the spotlight, and the rise of the women’s game. She has already signed NIL deals with Nike and Gatorade, and is also the first college basketball player to secure equity in a professional basketball league after agreeing to a deal with Unrivaled in August.

Bueckers has a $1.4 million NIL valuation, according to On3, which is second among all NCAA women’s basketball players and 30th among all NCAA athletes. She has over five million followers across Instagram, TikTok, and X, more than any men’s football or basketball player.

Bueckers, a redshirt senior, is averaging 21.3 points, 4 assists, and 3 steals through three games to start the 2024–2025 NCAA campaign. She was the No. 1 recruit in the 2020 high school class, ahead of many of the top rookies from the 2024 WNBA draft class, including Clark, Angel Reese, and Cameron Brink. During her freshman year at UConn, Bueckers won the Wooden Award and the AP, Naismith and WSBWA National Player of the Year awards.

In the following years, however, she battled injuries and missed the entire 2022–2023 season due to an ACL tear. She was eligible to enter the 2024 WNBA draft, and was projected to be drafted in the lottery after Clark, but announced in February she would return to UConn.

Bueckers does still have another year of eligibility left due to injuries, and could stay in school through the 2025–26 season. But she is expected to declare for the upcoming draft.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Caitlin Clark
breaking

Caitlin Clark Says She Won’t Return This Year

Clark has only played 13 games this season.

State of Connecticut Submits Bid for Minority Ownership of Sun 

The bid would value the Connecticut Sun above $250 million.

Torre: Key Phrases Missing in Clippers’ Pushback on Kawhi Deal

The NBA said it’s investigating the report involving the Clippers.

Featured Today

Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) celebrate their touchdown pass during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field.

TV Ratings Just Changed Again. The NFL Will Be the Big Winner

Nielsen’s new viewership system will have a big impact on sports.
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates with offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) after a touchdown catch against Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025.
August 30, 2025

The Most Expensive Roster Year in College Football History

The House settlement created revenue-sharing—and a big NIL loophole.
August 26, 2025

‘You’re Going to Get Beat Up’: The Liberty’s All-Male Practice Squad

A select group suits up weekly to take on the defending champs.
August 24, 2025

The Honey Deuce Effect: How Tennis Perfected the Signature Cocktail

Sold every 1.5 seconds, they total more than $12 million in sales.
Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) reacts on the field after the coin toss prior to the Chiefs' game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome.

Chiefs Enter Brazil Game With Eye on Becoming ‘World’s Team’

The Chiefs are playing in a record fourth foreign country.
September 2, 2025

F1’s McLaren Valued at More Than $5B After Recent Stake Sale

MSP Capital purchased its stake in McLaren in 2020.
September 3, 2025

Clippers Push Back on Kawhi Leonard Report, Call It ‘Provably False’

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is the richest owner in the NBA.
Sponsored

Trailblazer Cal Calamia Is Racing for ‘Advocacy, Storytelling, and Performance’

The marathoner wants excellence—not just inclusion—to be the goal for non-binary athletes.
August 29, 2025

Cowboys Can’t Bank on Mavericks’ Lottery Luck After Parsons Trade

The Mavericks lucked into Cooper Flagg through the 2025 NBA draft lottery.
August 28, 2025

Rhyne Howard Calls Out Dream Fans for A’Ja Wilson ‘MVP’ Chants

The Las Vegas Aces overtook the Atlanta Dream in the standings.
August 28, 2025

Connor McDavid: ‘All Options on Table’ As Historic Free Agency Looms

The Oilers superstar remains largely mum on his long-term plans.
United
August 28, 2025

Manchester United Knocked Out of Cup by Team With $2.6 Million Payroll

United’s team payroll is almost 100 times larger than Grimsby’s.