Minnesotan Paige Bueckers is No. 1 pick in WNBA draft, going to the Dallas Wings
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Minnesotan Paige Bueckers is headed to Dallas as the first pick Monday night in the WNBA draft.
The versatile UConn 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 went to Hopkins High School in Minnesota and was named USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year, the Gatorade National Player of the Year and 2020 Miss Minnesota Basketball Award while in high school.
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She finished her high school career with more than 2,800 points and led Hopkins to the 2019 Class 4A state championship.
Bueckers’ former coach, Tara Starks, talked to MPR News ahead of UConn’s victory.
“I mean, this is something that she’s always dreamed of, you know? I don’t think she realized it would get this big,” Starks said. “We managed to connect on a level almost like I was a big sister or an aunt, and we connected like that from the day I met her.”
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.
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.
Minnesota Lynx
The Minnesota Lynx had the third pick in the second round (15th overall) and selected Anastasiia Kosu from Russia. They had two more picks and chose Dalayah Daniels from Washington and Aubrey Griffin from UConn.