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Paige Bueckers Shares Unfortunate News After Major WNBA Announcement

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ernesto Cova | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 2:32 PM ET

The Dallas Wings didn't hesitate to take UConn star Paige Bueckers with the first overall pick of the 2025 WNBA Draft.

Other than her major knee injury in college, there was no reason to doubt that she would be a star at the next level.

So far, so good for the young guard, who was just named WNBA Rookie of the Month after dominating with averages of 21.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.7 steals per game on 47.5% from the floor.

LFGGGG Paige Bueckers is your June Rookie of the Month! pic.twitter.com/T9skCn4DrH
— Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) July 3, 2025

Unfortunately, it's not all good news for the reigning national champion. She missed the second leg of a back-to-back, and she just told the media that this might be a trend going forward:

“It’s difficult, but at the same time, I want to play 40 minutes, I want to play every single game,” Bueckers admitted after practice. “But also being smart and understanding the fact that there’s a long season and I want to have a long career ahead."

While the Wings argued that Buckers wasn't dealing with a serious injury, she admitted that she's been dealing with chronic tendinitis for years now:

"I’ve been dealing with patellar tendinitis since I was in high school," Bueckers added. "In a sense, you’re managing it at all times. There’s no day where it probably doesn’t hurt. But to be on the second night of a back-to-back where I just played 38 minutes, it usually never feels great the day after the game."

Bueckers is projected to be one of the faces of the league for years to come, and the team will have to manage her minutes carefully to make sure she has a long career.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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