Connecticut star Paige Bueckers selected No. 1 by Dallas in WNBA draft
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NEW YORK — Paige Bueckers is headed to Dallas as the first pick Monday night in the WNBA draft.
The versatile Connecticut star is the latest Huskies standout to go No. 1, joining former greats Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore and Breanna Stewart.
“Dallas I’m so excited, a new city, a new start,” Bueckers said. “A fresh start, so let’s get it.”
Bueckers has had a whirlwind week since helping UConn win its 12th national championship on April 6. She has split her time between New York and Connecticut doing morning and nighttime talk shows. On Sunday, she took part in the Huskies’ championship parade.
Her UConn teammates, who have meant so much to her, and coach Geno Auriemma were in attendance at the draft, which was held at The Shed in New York with hundreds of fans in attendance. Bueckers choked up when talking about her former Huskies teammates.
“They mean everything to me. They helped me get through highs and lows,” Bueckers said.
Seattle quickly followed Dallas’ selection by taking 19-year-old French star Dominique Malonga with the No. 2 pick. The 6-foot-6 Malonga was part of the silver medal winning French Olympic basketball team.
Paige Bueckers and Connecticut are back on top of women’s basketball, with the Huskies winning their 12th national championship by routing South Carolina.
The Washington Mystics, with a new coach and general manager, then took Notre Dame’s Sonia Citron with the third pick, and Southern Cal’s Kiki Iriafen with No. 4.
The expansion Golden State Valkyries made Juste Jocyte of Lithuania with the first draft choice in franchise history.
The first round features 12 picks, with 13 in each of the final two rounds.
Six teams don’t have picks in the opening round as New York, Indiana, Minnesota, Phoenix and Atlanta traded away their picks. Las Vegas forfeited its pick following an investigation by the league in 2023 that found the franchise violated league rules regarding impermissible player benefits and workplace policies.
Here’s how the first round unfolded:
No. 1 . Dallas Wings: Paige Bueckers, UConn
The 5-foot-11 guard from Hopkins, Minnesota, is considered a generational player. Bueckers averaged 19.9 points and shot 41.9% from behind the three-point line this season. Bueckers was one of the most efficient players in college basketball, playing 38 games this season for the national champion Huskies and 123 in her career. She will pair with Arike Ogunbowale in the Wings’ backcourt. Bueckers was the 2021 AP player of the year and a three-time AP All-American.
No. 2. Seattle Storm: Dominique Malonga, France
The 6-foot-6 center played for the French Olympic team last year and has a bright future in the WNBA. She averaged 15.0 points and 10.3 rebounds so far this season while playing for Lyon. She is 19 and won’t turn 20 until November. But Malonga gave a glimpse of her dazzling athleticism last fall, dunking for Lyon.
No. 3. Washington Mystics: Sonia Citron, Notre Dame
Citron is a 6-foot-1 guard. She averaged 14.1 points and 5.4 rebounds during her career at Notre Dame, where she worked hard enough on her defense to become one of the top defenders on the team. She also shot over 90% from the free throw line the past two seasons, one of the best percentages in the country. Citron started 107 of 124 games played over four seasons at Notre Dame.
Diana Taurasi is defined by the bravado and swag that she played with every time she stepped on the basketball court, inspiring others.
No. 4 Washington Mystics: Kiki Iriafen, USC
The 6-foot-3 forward was a star at Stanford before spending her last season at USC. She averaged 18.0 points and 8.4 rebounds with the Trojans. Iriafen then raised her game when JuJu Watkins went down with an ACL tear, helping USC get to the Elite Eight.
No. 5 Golden State Valkyries: Juste Jocyte, Lithuania
The 6-foot Jocyte showcased her scoring skills with a 22-point effort against Belgium in the EuroBasket qualifiers. She’s a versatile player who can play any guard position. She is really effective on the pick-and-roll with a toughness and fundamental skills that are impressive for someone who turns 20 on Nov. 19.
No. 6 Washington Mystics: Georgia Amoore, Kentucky
Amoore is a 5-foot-6 guard with lots of experience, starting 155 of 157 games over five college seasons. Amoore averaged 19.6 points and 6.9 assists for Kentucky this season after transferring from Virginia Tech, where she spent her first four seasons. She is from Ballarat, Victoria, in Australia.
No. 7 Connecticut Sun: Aneesah Morrow, Louisiana State
The 6-foot-1 forward led the nation in double-doubles as she averaged 18.7 points and 13.5 rebounds a game. She is second in that category for a career, behind only Oklahoma great Courtney Paris, having more than 100 in her career with her last two seasons at LSU after playing her first two at DePaul. The native of Chicago has a toughness and nose for the basketball.
No. 8 Connecticut Sun: Saniya Rivers, N.C. State
The 6-foot-1 forward is coming off a season where she was All-ACC first team and also Atlantic Coast Conference All-Defensive Team for a second straight year. She helped lead the Wolfpack to the Final Four last season. Rivers helped South Carolina win the 2022 national championship her freshman year before transferring. Rivers averaged 11.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists this past season, starting all 35 games. She also is a good defender averaging, 1.3 blocks and 1.6 steals.
Sarah Ashlee Barker, considered one of the top shooting guards in the country last season, earned back-to-back All-SEC first-team honors at Alabama last season.
No. 9 Sparks: Sarah Ashlee Barker, Alabama
Finished her college career by scoring a school-record 45 points in Alabama’s 111-108 double-overtime loss to Maryland in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Was first-team All-SEC selection in the last two of her three seasons with the Crimson Tide. Spent her first two seasons at Georgia. The 6-foot guard, a native of Birmingham, is the daughter of Jay Barker, who quarterbacked Alabama to the 1992 college football championship.
No. 10 Chicago Sky: Ajsa Sivka, Slovenia
Sivka has size at 6-foot-4 that makes her a difficult matchup. She also is another European who won’t turn 20 until Nov. 23. Sivka is a multilevel scoring forward with efficient shot-making ability. She made over 42% from the three-point line.
No. 11 Chicago Sky: Hailey Van Lith, Texas Christian
Van Lith is a 5-foot-9 guard who became the first player to play on three different teams in the Elite Eight after revitalizing her own college career at TCU. Van Lith averaged 17.9 points and 5.4 assists this season as TCU reach the Elite Eight for the first time in school history. Van Lith also has some pro experience helping the U.S. win a bronze medal in three-on-three at last year’s Paris Olympics.
No. 12 Dallas Wings: Aziaha James
The 5-foot-10 native of Virginia Beach, Virginia, is a two-time All-ACC first team player. James played in 105 straight games to finish her career at N.C. State. She capped her career averaging a career-high 17.9 points a game. She also grabbed an average of 4.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 steals, starting 34 of 35 games. James shot an average of 44.5% from the floor, 33.3% from three-point range and 75% at the free throw line.
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