This is Paige Bueckers’ last week in a UConn jersey as the Huskies are set to face off against UCLA in the women’s NCAA Final Four. If her team comes out victorious, they will move on to the championship game against the winner of the South Carolina vs Texas matchup. But regardless of the eventual outcome, the book on her college career is closing shortly.
Bueckers officially announced last week that she will declare for the 2025 WNBA Draft on April 14. With one year of college eligibility remaining, speculation had been swirling about whether the UConn star would make the leap to the professional level or return for another season, despite her having previously said this was her last year in Storrs.
That was just one of many questions surrounding the projected No. 1 overall pick in the draft.
In a January interview, WNBA journalist Howard Megdal reported that sources indicated Bueckers would be going “full Eli Manning” and thus would refuse to play for the Dallas Wings—referencing when Manning was adamant about not playing for the San Diego Chargers, who held the No. 1 pick in that year’s draft. A November 18 report from ESPN’s Michael Voelpel asserted that Bueckers’ preferred destination was Los Angeles, with the Sparks, who lost out on the No. 1 pick in the draft lottery to the Wings.
During a press conference ahead of the Final Four matchups in Tampa Bay, Bueckers was asked if she had a preferred landing spot. Her response was brief and direct, “Nowhere specific. Wherever I end up.”
Paige about the wnba draft and if she wants to end up in a specific team.
She said it herself so hopefully these false narratives about her not wanting to play for a certain team stops. pic.twitter.com/5gIZ30mVR4
— ell (@creampuffs_5) April 4, 2025
The rumors suggesting that Bueckers did not want to be drafted by Dallas caught fire, prompting Wings Executive Vice President and General Manager Curt Miller to address the speculation in a Dallas Morning News article.
“We have not heard anything directly that any person eligible for this draft would not want to play in Dallas,” Miller said in the article. “In fact, [Wings star] Arike [Ogunbowale] hears from most of the top possible draft picks in this class, and they’re all really, really excited about possibly pairing with Arike.”
Bueckers has yet to give any indication she plans to go “full Eli Manning.” And all signs point to Bueckers suiting up for whomever may draft her, including Dallas. For now, her focus remains on leading UConn through the Final Four, with one last shot to add a championship to her legacy.