From the hardwood of the NCAA to the big stage of the WNBA, Paige Bueckers just reached another major milestone in her basketball journey. On draft night, the UConn superstar was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft by the Dallas Wings—a moment that capped off a legendary college career and launched the start of her next chapter.
Since the draft, Paige Bueckers has received an outpouring of congratulations from fans, athletes, and coaches alike. But one message stood out among the rest: a heartfelt video from longtime UConn teammate and close friend Azzi Fudd.
“Paige, congratulations. I am so, so proud of you,” Fudd said. “This team is so lucky to have you, and I can’t wait to see what incredible things you continue to do in the W… You’re someone that I look up to. You know I’ll always be your number one fan.”
The two guards formed one of the most iconic duos in women’s college basketball, sharing the highs and lows of their careers side by side. They ended their collegiate run on the highest note possible—winning the 2025 National Championship.
“Me and Azzi have a great relationship,” Paige Bueckers shared. “We got a lot of unconditional love for each other. So for her to be here to celebrate with me, it means everything.”
The Dallas Wings later posted a behind-the-scenes video of Bueckers watching Fudd’s message on a phone. Clearly moved, Bueckers repeated, “It means everything,” as she smiled through the emotion.
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Moments after drafting her, Dallas Wings head coach Chris Koclanes and general manager Curt Miller couldn’t hide their excitement.
“Paige! Let’s go!” Miller shouted during their first post-draft call. Both he and Koclanes praised her talent and attitude in the post-WNBA draft press conference.
“I’ve been in the league for over a decade, but never had a No. 1 pick,” said Miller. “Today truly felt like Christmas morning.”
First call between @Coachcurtmiller & @paigebueckers1
pic.twitter.com/6Pq7PXPmSX
— Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) April 15, 2025
Koclanes added, “What makes her special is she can fill any gap—on or off the ball—and she’s unselfish about it. As a coach, I’m just excited to figure out what works for her and this team.”
The Bueckers era in Dallas has officially begun.
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Cameron Brink is finally set to make her season debut on Tuesday after suffering a torn ACL in June of last year. During her rehab, she was focused on an assortment of things. But perhaps the most important thing she needed to do was rest and allow her leg to recover from surgery. So, she started a podcast in January of this year to accommodate herself. One of the best parts about Brink’s podcast is her confessional segments. She and Sydell Curry, sister of Steph, reveal confessions that the two listen to and don’t judge each other for. Some of their best ones in the past have been when Cam got too drunk in the club and cried with Steph during the WNBA All-Star weekend. Sydel also once revealed she likes to check out women while out and about, just like men do. In her latest episode, though, Brink’s confessional left her fans in stitches. “My confession this week is I was getting off the elevator in my apartment complex the other day, and do you know when a sudden sneeze hits you all just out of the blue? I just, and I have a petite sneeze. It’s polite. I sneezed right as I was kind of walking out of the elevator, but there was a man right in front of me. He was walking into the elevator right as I was walking out and sneezing. So, I kind of sneezed on this man,” Brink confessed on her show Straight to Cam. It’s one of the worst-case scenarios to put yourself in. The Sparks forward must have felt embarrassed about what she had just done. But it sounds like it was an unfortunate case of wrong place, wrong time. Brink then shared that the guy she sneezed on was pretty upset. “And he looked pretty distraught, and I was like, ‘Oh my god. I’m sorry,” she said. Although the WNBA star quickly came to a realization as she was walking away from the scene. “But then, as I was walking away from the elevator, I was like, you know, that’s something that really pisses me off. Is when someone walks into the elevator while you’re still on the elevator getting off. There’s elevator etiquette,” Brink added. It’s true. Usually, the people getting on the elevator are supposed to allow the people getting off ample time to pass. It’s quite rude to get in their way when they’re trying to do so. From that perspective, Brink did nothing wrong, and the guy did it to himself. Cam’s co-host later agreed that the random man should’ve had better etiquette. “Oh, yeah, decorum people,” Sydel said. By the end of her story, Brink didn’t feel bad at all. She said the guy deserved to get sneezed on. Sydel then jokingly checked her on that, pointing out that ever since COVID, people are hypersensitive to germs. All in all, it’s a funny story for Brink to look back on. She may have been harrowingly embarrassed when it happened. But she’s completely right; if the man had let her get off the elevator, maybe it wouldn’t have even occurred. It’s a stark reminder to always have good elevator etiquette when in public.
The Boston Bruins have been under pressure to retool after a disappointing season, and now a potential blockbuster move could shake the entire NHL. A major trade proposal has surfaced that could send a star goaltender to the Edmonton Oilers, a move that would give them the elite presence they've lacked in net while forcing Boston closer to a rebuild. The deal being floated by multiple outlets would send Edmonton's current starter, Stuart Skinner, along with Matthew Savoie, Beau Akey, and a 2028 first-round pick to Boston, while the Oilers land a goaltender capable of changing their Cup window overnight. Edmonton's push for a franchise goalie could reshape the Western Conference and challenge the Dallas Stars' path to the Cup If this trade goes through, the Oilers would instantly address one of their biggest weaknesses, setting up a showdown with teams like the Dallas Stars, who already see Edmonton as one of their toughest rivals. Boston, on the other hand, would fully commit to a rebuild, pairing Joonas Korpisalo with Skinner in what could be one of the NHL's weakest tandems, likely boosting their draft lottery odds in one of the most hyped draft classes in recent memory (NHL.com). An insider noted, "They weren't the only ones who had inquired about Swayman, but yes, I was told they poked around." That comment shows just how wide the interest is for this level of goalie talent (Heavy.com). I think this kind of trade would completely shift the balance of power in the West, making Edmonton even more dangerous for teams like Dallas, who could end up facing a vastly upgraded Oilers team in the playoffs. If Boston truly embraces a rebuild, moving their top goaltender could be the first domino in a massive roster overhaul, something that could shake the market for weeks.
The return of Elgton Jenkins on Monday has excited the Green Bay Packers and his fans. Expected to play center after spending most of his career as a left guard, a role that he performed so well he earned a couple of Pro Bowl nods. The hope is that Jenkins will continue to shine as the Packers’ starting center, especially with the struggles the others are having filling that role in training camp, particularly with snapping the ball to the quarterback. That was highlighted anew on Monday, when tight end Tyler Kraft was hit by a snap while on the move behind the line of scrimmage. Packers having trouble in camp snapping the ball The Packers’ trouble with snapping appears to be a growing concern for the team, one that they should clean up as the 2025 NFL season approaches. Via Matt Schneidman of The Athletic: “The Packers continue having issues snapping the ball. In recent days, the culprit has been reserve center Trey Hill. On Monday, one Sean Rhyan snap hit Kraft in motion before falling to the ground and another drifted left of Love before hitting the grass. On that play, Love recovered and launched a prayer down the left sideline to Golden, who did well to cut in front of Hobbs and make sure the pass fell incomplete.” Perhaps rust has played a part in those botched snaps, with the Packers training camp not even a week removed from when it started. In any case, improvement in that area will have to show sooner rather than later.
CLEVELAND — Emmanuel Clase is officially off the trading block, and not for the reasons the Cleveland Guardians might have hoped. After Clase was placed on non-disciplinary paid leave as part of MLB’s sports-betting investigation on Monday, Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti acknowledged that the high-profile closer wouldn't be a part of any trades before the upcoming MLB trade deadline later this week. "No," Antonetti responded to reporters on Monday afternoon when asked if Clase would potentially be traded. It's a blow to the Guardians, who likely could have received a loaded return had they chosen to move the 27-year-old right-hander. However, with MLB's investigation underway, Clase is now on leave until Aug. 31. It is Major League Baseball's second look at the franchise in terms of potential sports betting following Luis Ortiz being placed on the same kind of leave earlier in July. That means Cleveland is down two relievers, including Clase and his 24 saves posted so far this season. "I think what's important is that we understand what the reality is and figure out how do we move forward from here," Antonetti said. "That's really the focus. "Both guys won't be available to us in the near term, and we need to figure out a way to overcome that. It's not too dissimilar to the moment when players are injured and they're not available to us. We have to find the next group to step up and shoulder a load and find a way to win games. That's really what we're focused on." Antonetti also told reporters that the two relievers will be the last Cleveland players investigated for this type of potential infringement. "We've been informed by Major League Baseball. They were very clear to let us know that they don't expect any other players or staff members," Antonetti said. While Clase may not be off the trading list, Antonetti told reporters it was still very "active" in terms of other teams reaching out to the Guardians around the 6 p.m. (Eastern) Thursday trade deadline. "We're in constant dialogue with a lot of teams," Antonetti said. "We had a lot of dialogue up through this morning and certainly had dialogue over the last few hours. My expectation is that it will continue over the next few days." Antonetti didn't offer a timeline in terms of when Cleveland might hear official rulings from MLB on the investigations. "What I know is that the suspensions are in place through August 31 and then we'll have to see where things are happening," Antonetti said. "Obviously, for everyone, I think you'd prefer to have the clarity sooner rather than later. But I recognize it's a complicated issue and usually baseball has a number of steps they need to work through to complete that investigation." All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.