The Dallas Wings won the 2025 WNBA Draft Lottery, positioning them to select Paige Bueckers with the No. 1 overall pick. When asked about the lottery, Bueckers admitted to feeling anxious and opted not to watch.
“People think I’m lying. I actually didn’t watch it, it was giving me too much anxiety,” Bueckers told ESPN of Sunday’s lottery. “So I just decided to… whatever was going to happen, regardless of whether I was watching or not, so I just kind of let things happen and figure it out after,” she explained.
When asked about Dallas winning the lottery and likely using that pick to select her, she said, “I honestly don’t want to get complacent. I want to stay humble, stay grounded, stay in the moment. Nothing in the future is guaranteed, so just taking every moment as it is. I’m a firm believer in God having a plan for me, so whatever that is, I’m ready to do it,” she concluded.
However, it has been reported that Bueckers was hoping to land in Los Angeles Sparks, as they were the predicted winner of the draft, due to their record in the past WNBA seasons. However, they will pick second, while the Chicago Sky will pick third.
Dallas Wings in search of a new head coach
The No. 1 picks can transform a franchise, as Indiana Fever have evidenced after landing the No. 1 picks of Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark in consecutive years. Both players won Rookie of the Year awards, and the team landed their first playoff berth since 2016.
However, the Wings have a more pressing matter to attend first: hiring a new coach. General manager Curt Miller told The Press Democrat that searching has generated buzz. “The coaching search has already generated tremendous amounts of interest,” he said. “Can’t begin to tell you the interest coming from not only the WNBA but also outside the WNBA. This is only going to increase it.”
Meanwhile, Wings forward Maddy Siegrist, who was representing the franchise in the draft, said that they were “super excited” as “we’ve seen how impactful lottery picks have been, especially the past few seasons.”
Paige Bueckers’ talent
Minnesota native Paige Bueckers has been a revelation at UConn. As a freshman, she made history by claiming every major national player of the year award. However, knee injuries sidelined her during her sophomore and junior years.
Despite these challenges, Bueckers has led the Huskies to multiple Final Four appearances, including a championship game in 2022. With a remarkable scoring average of 19.9 points per game, she’s poised to break Maya Moore’s all-time program scoring record.