WNBA star Paige Bueckers nominated for prestigious honor

"This recognition celebrates female student-athletes who excel in academics, athletics, and service," a portion of the tweet read.

Although Bueckers has not made her own personal post about it, she has been openly grateful for everything UConn gave her during her collegiate career.

“It was a journey of resilience, of overcoming adversity,” Bueckers told "TODAY" via NBC Connecticut. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world just because it became such a beautiful story and a remarkable journey of ups and downs, highs and lows, of keeping the faith, of working extremely hard, and I really wouldn’t trade it.”

Bueckers said the way she was able to bond with her teammates is one of the many reasons the UConn Huskies excelled on and off the court.

“I saw on social media, they were saying UConn won based on the power of friendship," Bueckers added. "It’s so accurate, just how much we love each other, how much we’re connected, how much we’ve been through as individuals, as a team and how much it’s bonded us and helped us become national champions, I wouldn’t trade it for anything."

Before being the eventual No. 1 overall pick for the Dallas Wings, Bueckers called it "surreal" to be able to play at the highest level of the sport of women's basketball.

"Just to be able to play in the WNBA, it’s a dream come true. I was just a little girl aspiring to be in the league. The Minnesota Lynx dynasty was everything for me, so to grow up watching Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen, and the rest of that dynasty and to be able to share that experience and be a part of that is surreal to say.”

Bueckers' team finished 10-34 as the rebuild continued with Thursday's all-but-inevitable "zeroing in" of South Florida coach Jose Fernandez. Fernandez has enjoyed successful stints at the college level, but the WNBA is a far different territory should Dallas hire him.