Dallas’ Paige Bueckers wins WNBA Rookie of the Year award

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

A new star is born.

After the deliberation from a national panel composed of sportswriters and broadcasters, Dallas Wings star guard Paige Bueckers was named the KIA 2025 Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Rookie of the Year, announced on Sept. 17, 2025.

It was a no-brainer for the panel, as the former University of Connecticut superstar got 70 of 72 first-place votes, resulting in a near-unanimous decision.

The player who got the other two first-place votes was Sonia Citron of the Washington Mystics, the No. 3 overall pick of the 2025 Draft.

Thirty straight double-digit scoring performances and a 44-point outburst against the star-studded Los Angeles Sparks? Now that’s ROTY-worthy.

Carrying a boatload of expectations after getting selected as the No. 1 lottery pick, Bueckers not only met the standards the Dallas fan base demanded from her, but she exceeded them all.

After playing 36 games in the regular season, Bueckers was nothing but spectacular and averaged 19.2 points, 5.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per contest.

Although the do-it-all combo guard failed to lift Dallas out of the mud and make a playoff trip, Bueckers’ impact as a rookie stalwart took the league by storm.

Bueckers set crazy WNBA records in just her first year, including becoming the only rookie in league history to average at least 19 points while shooting at least 47% from the field.

She was not only a pure hooper inside the hardwood, she was also a fan favorite, receiving the most votes in an All-Star selection by a rookie.

However, what stood out the most was her career-defining moment when they faced the LA Sparks in a thrilling road game.

Bueckers tied Hall of Famer Cynthia Cooper’s rookie single-game scoring record on Aug. 21, matching the legend’s 44-point outing that had stood unchallenged for 28 years.

While Kelsey Plum sealed the game with a buzzer-beater, the postgame buzz centered around Bueckers’ masterclass in scoring.

Bueckers not only joined Hall of Fame company but also registered the highest single-game scoring total in the 2025 WNBA season.

That performance really bolstered her case for bagging this year’s WNBA Rookie of the Year honors.