Paige Bueckers is headed to Dallas as the primary choose Monday evening within the WNBA draft.
The versatile UConn star is the most recent Huskies standout to go No. 1, becoming a member of former greats Sue Chook, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore and Breanna Stewart.
“Dallas I am so excited, a brand new metropolis, a brand new begin,” Bueckers mentioned. “A recent begin, so let’s get it.”
Bueckers has had a whirlwind week since serving to UConn win its twelfth nationwide championship on April 6. She has cut up her time between New York and Connecticut doing morning and nighttime discuss reveals. On Sunday, she took half within the Huskies’ championship parade.
Her UConn teammates, who’ve meant a lot to her, and coach Geno Auriemma have been in attendance on the draft, which was held at The Shed in New York with a whole bunch of followers in attendance. Bueckers choked up when speaking about her former Huskies teammates.
“They imply every part to me. They helped me get via highs and lows,” Bueckers mentioned.
Bueckers is a stellar 3-point shooter who made 42.3 % (236 of 558) of her makes an attempt in her 4 seasons with the Huskies. She knocked down 70 this season.
Seattle shortly adopted Dallas’ choice by taking 19-year-old French star Dominique Malonga with the No. 2 choose. The 6-foot-6 Malonga was a part of the silver medal profitable French Olympic basketball group.
The Washington Mystics, with a brand new coach and basic supervisor, then took Notre Dame’s Sonia Citron with the third choose, and Southern Cal’s Kiki Iriafen with No. 4.
The enlargement Golden State Valkyries made Juste Jocyte of Lithuania with the primary draft alternative in franchise historical past.
The primary spherical options 12 picks, with 13 in every of the ultimate two rounds.
Six groups do not have picks within the opening spherical as New York, Indiana, Minnesota, Phoenix and Atlanta traded away their picks. Las Vegas forfeited its choose following an investigation by the league in 2023 that discovered the franchise violated league guidelines concerning impermissible participant advantages and office insurance policies.
Lynx purchase ahead Samuelson from Mystics
The Minnesota Lynx acquired ahead Karlie Samuelson in a commerce with the Washington Mystics on Monday for his or her 2026 first-round draft choose.
The 6-foot Samuelson has profession averages of 5.6 factors, 2.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per sport over six WNBA seasons. She scored a career-best 8.4 factors per sport final 12 months, her first with the Mystics, whereas capturing 39.8 per cent from 3-point vary to rank thirteenth within the league. Samuelson was initially signed by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2018.
The Lynx acquired a unique 2026 first-round choose in a separate commerce with the Chicago Sky on Sunday in trade for his or her first-rounder — eleventh total — this 12 months. The draft was being held Monday.
Source link