This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCF chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Oct. 20 marked Paige Bueckers’ birthday, as the women’s basketball star turned 24 years old. Bueckers just wrapped up her first year in the WNBA as a guard for the Dallas Wings. 

Before she played her first game in a Dallas Wings jersey, Bueckers was already someone to watch in the WNBA. The night of the 2025 WNBA draft, she was selected as the overall No. 1 pick and drafted by Dallas. Bueckers had a killer rookie season in the league, with ESPN reporting her stats at an average of 19.2 points per game, 5.4 assists per game, 3.9 rebounds per game, and 1.6 steals per game. The WNBA website notes that she ranks 5th overall for points scored in the regular season, behind players like A’ja Wilson and Napheesa Collier. She is also the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 200 points, 50 rebounds, and 50 assists, and it is notable to mention the fact that Bueckers was selected as a starter for the All-Star game this season. With numbers like those, it is no surprise that Bueckers was named the 2025 Rookie of the Year. According to ESPN, Bueckers is the 16th No. 1 Overall Pick to win Rookie of the Year in the WNBA’s history. 

@paigebueckers on Instagram

Rookie of the Year is far from the first award Paige Bueckers has won, and it’s likely not the last. Bueckers has been winning awards since her high school years in Hopkins, Minnesota. According to ESPN, she was named the 2020 Gatorade Player of the Year award and the 2020 Morgan Wootten Player of the Year award, among others. After High School, Bueckers became a Husky and went to play basketball in Storrs, Connecticut, for the University of Connecticut, more affectionately known as UConn. 

Bueckers won many awards during her time at UConn, with ESPN reporting that as a freshman, she won the 2021 Naismith Trophy, the 2021 Wooden Award, and the 2021 AP Player of the Year. Bueckers kept dominating on the court and in 2024, earned the Big East Player of the Year in 2024 and the Wade Trophy in 2025. Those are only a few of the awards she won across her five years playing for the University of Connecticut, but perhaps the most meaningful achievement was the 2025 National Championship she won with her teammates, marking the 12th title for the UConn women’s basketball program. USA Today reported on the championship and its significance. All of UConn’s titles have been won under the same head coach, Geno Auriemma, and with 12 National Championships, they have the most titles of any women’s basketball program. 

Bueckers certainly makes an impact wherever she goes, and most recently, it was announced that she will be stepping onto the court for Unrivaled. Sporting News reported on Buecker’s 3-year contract with Unrivaled and explained how the 3-on-3 basketball league provides Bueckers with the opportunity to play and make money in the WNBA off-season. This is only Unrivaled’s second year as a league, having its inaugural season in 2025. In my opinion, I would expect to see some records set for the league by Bueckers once she steps on the court. 

Paige Bueckers is an incredible player, from her time in high school to playing at arguably the best school for women’s basketball in the country, and continuing to strengthen the school’s legacy during her time there. She became the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft and ended her rookie season as the 2025 Rookie of the Year. She truly is a one-of-a-kind player. I, for one, always enjoy watching Bueckers play basketball, and one thing is for sure: When she steps on the court, it is sure to be nothing short of spectacular.