May 7, 2025; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers poses for a photo during the 2025 Dallas Wings Media Day. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Paige Bueckers reacts to Mavericks winning first overall pick in 2025 NBA Draft

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated May 14, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The Dallas Mavericks won the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, bringing hope to a fanbase that had seemingly lost it all after the Luka Doncic trade. This is the first time in franchise history that the Mavs have not only won the Draft Lottery but even moved up in general. But it's the second time in a few months that the city of Dallas had a basketball team with a number one overall pick.

Paige Bueckers was selected first overall in the WNBA Draft in mid-April by the Dallas Wings, the first sign of basketball hope for Dallas. Assuming the Mavericks hang onto their first pick to select Cooper Flagg, and all indications point to that being the case, it'll be the first time that a city has had the first pick in the WNBA Draft and NBA Draft in the same year.

Bueckers was asked about the Mavericks landing the first pick and thought it was fake.

"Yeah, that's another thing that I didn't think was real at first. I think 1.8% odds to get the first pick," Bueckers said to the media. "But I believe God makes no mistakes, and so that happened for a reason."

Dallas Wings No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers on the Mavs winning the NBA draft lottery and potentially securing Cooper Flagg: “…I didn’t think [it] was real at first … but I believe God makes no mistakes.” pic.twitter.com/F9egQ0FjGV
— Myah Taylor (@t_myah) May 13, 2025

She's also excited about the opportunity for Cooper Flagg: "I know Cooper doesn't take it for granted that he's the No. 1 as of right now. He'll wait to hear his name get called. But if that's the case, which it most likely will be, that will be super exciting for the entire organization, who's not on a rebuild and who already has a great team. To add him to a championship-level team is a very nice addition."

Dallas fans will have to wait until June 25th until Cooper Flagg is officially a Maverick, but the future is bright for the franchise, something that seemed impossible once they traded away Luka Doncic.

This article first appeared on Dallas Mavericks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: