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Bueckers Named WNBA Rookie of the Year

LOS ANGELES – UConn women's basketball alumna Paige Bueckers was named the 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year, as announced Tuesday.

Bueckers is the seventh UConn Husky to earn WNBA Rookie of the Year, joining Crystal Dangerfield (2020), Napheesa Collier (2019), Breanna Stewart (2016), Maya Moore (2011), Tina Charles (2010) and Diana Taurasi (2004).

Over 36 games in 2025, Bueckers averaged 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.6 steals while shooting .477 from the field and .331 from three.

Bueckers' rookie campaign was one for the record books. She tallied the third-most points (692) and assists (194) by a rookie in WNBA history, while posting the highest single-game scoring performance ever by a rookie with her 44-point outing at the Los Angeles Sparks on Aug. 20. Her 30-game double-digit scoring streak to start her career is the third-longest in WNBA history behind A'ja Wilson (33 games, 2018) and Candace Parker (32 games, 2008), while her 17 20-point games finish tied for fifth all-time.

The 6-0 guard is the only player in the WNBA to finish in the top nine in scoring (5th), assists (9th) and steals (6th). Her 20.3 efficiency rating was tops among all guards in the WNBA, ranked seventh overall, and was the only rookie to finish in the top 19.

Her 44-point outing on Aug. 20 was the most points scored by any player since 2023, while she is the only player in WNBA history to score 40+ while shooting at least 80 percent from the field.

Bueckers is the only rookie in WNBA history to average at least 19 points per game while shooting at least 47 percent from the field, and just the second player (Candace Parker, 2015) in WNBA history to average at least 19 points, five assists and 47-percent shooting. She is the lone rookie in league history to average at least 19 points and 1.5 steals per game.

Bueckers set Wings franchise rookie records for points, points per game, assists, assists per game and points-assists double-doubles (2).

Bueckers was also named the Associated Press Rookie of the Year, AP All-WNBA Second Team and AP All-Rookie Team last week.