Dallas Wings’ Paige Bueckers Wins WNBA Rookie of the Year After Historic Season

Grant AfsethSeptember 16, 2025September 16, 2025no comment

Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings, WNBA, Los Angeles Sparks

Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images

Paige Bueckers’ first season in the WNBA was more than just impressive — it was historic. The Dallas Wings guard was named the league’s Rookie of the Year on Tuesday, adding another milestone to a debut campaign already filled with record-setting performances.

The No. 1 overall pick averaged 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.6 steals over 36 games. She finished fifth in the league in scoring, ninth in assists, and sixth in steals, the only player to rank in the top 10 in all three categories. Among guards, her 20.3 efficiency rating was unmatched.

Paige Bueckers Achieved a Record-Breaking Rookie Campaign

Her résumé put her in rare company. Bueckers became the only rookie ever to average at least 19 points while shooting better than 47 percent from the field. She also joined Candace Parker as the only players in league history to pair 19 points per game with at least five assists at that efficiency.

Bueckers scored 692 points and tallied 194 assists, both the third-most by a rookie in WNBA history. She authored the highest single-game scoring performance ever by a first-year player with 44 points at Los Angeles on Aug. 20, the league’s top mark since 2023. Her 30 straight double-digit scoring games to open her career rank behind only Parker and A’ja Wilson.

The UConn graduate also left her mark on Dallas’ record books, setting franchise rookie highs in points, assists, and points-assists double-doubles. She posted 17 games with 20 or more points, tied for fifth all-time among rookies.

Recognition and Honors

Her popularity matched her production. Bueckers was voted into the All-Star starting lineup in July, becoming only the 10th rookie to earn that distinction. She received more than 805,000 fan votes — the most ever for a rookie and second-most among guards — and became just the seventh player to pair an All-Star starting nod with Rookie of the Year in the same season.

Bueckers also swept the Associated Press honors, earning Rookie of the Year last week and spots on both the AP All-Rookie Team and the AP All-WNBA Second Team. She is the second Wings player to win the league’s top rookie award since the franchise relocated to Dallas in 2016, joining Arike Ogunbowale in 2019.

With the announcement, the Wings join Indiana and Minnesota as the only teams to produce multiple Rookie of the Year winners in the past decade. The league will continue unveiling its other season awards in the coming weeks.

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Grant Afseth

Senior Writer

Grant Afseth is a Senior Writer for DallasHoopsJournal.com, where he leads in-depth coverage of the Mavericks, Wings, and more. Between a focus on the latest news, closer looks at games, front office strategy, and more, Afseth provides objective coverage. Afseth contributes broader NBA coverage across platforms and has been cited in national outlets for his reporting and analysis. With nearly a decade of journalism experience, Afseth has covered the NBA and WNBA for multiple major outlets, including Athlon Sports, BallIsLife, Sportskeeda, and RG.org. He previously reported on the Indiana Pacers for CNHI’s Kokomo Tribune and the Mavericks for FanNation.

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Dallas Wings’ Paige Bueckers Wins WNBA Rookie of the Year After Historic Season