Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers celebrates during the second half against the Phoenix Mercury. Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Why Dallas Wings' Paige Bueckers deserves Rookie of the Year

Originally posted on Dallas Wings on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Sep 18, 2025 5:32 PM ET

Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers is celebrating after winning Rookie of the Year honors following a tremendous first season in the league.

Bueckers was praised by The Athletic as the publication explained why they voted for her.

"No rookie has had more thrust on her shoulders than Bueckers, whose 15 shots per game are not only the most among any first-year player but the seventh-most in the league. The Wings star is efficient in her chances, shooting 47.4 percent from the field — the highest mark of any guard who attempts more than 10 shots per game — and she’s shown she can be a high-level facilitator too," The Athletic wrote.

"Bueckers’ season peaked on Aug. 20 when she became the league’s first player to score at least 40 points this season, and she broke the WNBA single-game rookie scoring record with 44 points against the Sparks. But her body of work has been impressive throughout the season. We agree that Bueckers deserves this award."

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Bueckers deserves Rookie of the Year

While Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron also had a very successful rookie season in the league, Bueckers was tremendous for the Wings, giving her Rookie of the Year honors.

In her first season in the league, Bueckers averaged 19.2 points, 5.4 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game for the Wings. She proved why the team took her with the No. 1 overall pick and previewed what she could be able to do in the league during her career.

Bueckers still has a long way to go to get the Wings back into contention, but Dallas has a bright future with her at the point guard position. The hope for the offseason is that Bueckers gets some rest after competing with UConn and Dallas before ramping up for Unrivaled in the winter. Then, she will get ready in May for her second WNBA season.

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

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