ESPN recently predicted that Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers will win a WNBA award after a historic season as a guard. Here’s more on ESPN’s recent prediction about Bueckers, 23.
ESPN Predicts a Paige Bueckers Win
With just one game left in the 2025 WNBA season, Bueckers seems to be the favorite to win the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year award. The Dallas Wings will wrap up 2025 with a home game against the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. Central. ESPN WNBA writers Kendra Andrews, Kevin Pelton, Alexa Philippou, and Michael Voepel were polled to select their winners for the WNBA’s major awards, and the Dallas rookie was the clear winner.
The Rookie’s Outlook
Bueckers’ outlook appears to be bright. She averaged 19.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.6 steals per game this season. She also exemplified strong leadership on and off the court, guiding her Dallas Wings teammates through challenges and setting a high standard for performance.
“For as difficult as the season has been for the Wings, the future is bright with Bueckers at the helm of the franchise,” Philippou wrote. “Her 2025 campaign stands out historically compared to other rookie seasons in W history and among her peers in the league this summer.”
“Bueckers’ scoring average currently ranks seventh in league history among rookies [and her efficiency of 47.4% would top the group]. The 2025 No. 1 draft pick is also on track to become just the second rookie to average 19 points and five assists in her debut season, joining Caitlin Clark [2024]. In fact, only 13 players in league history have averaged those numbers in any season. The burden on Bueckers’ shoulders has only increased as the season has progressed, with the Wings experiencing a slew of season-ending injuries, yet she has only continued to get better.
“Bueckers’ most memorable performance — and the one that locked up her ROY case — came last month when she scored 44 points on 17-for-21 shooting against the [Los Angeles] Sparks, the first 40-piece in league history on 80% shooting from the field. She’s the only player in the league to reach 40 points this season.”
Final Thoughts
Bueckers is the most obvious choice to win the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year award. However, Washington Mystics rookie Sonia Citron had a great season, averaging 14.9 points, 4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. ESPN selected Citron, 21, as the runner-up, even saying she’d likely win the award for most years. We will see what happens in the coming years.
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