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 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.
Bueckers is a stellar 3-point shooter who made 42.3 percent (236 of 558) of her attempts in her four seasons with the Huskies. She knocked down 70 this season.
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.
The first round features 12 picks, with 13 in each of the final two rounds.
Six teams don’t have picks in the opening round as New York, Indiana, Minnesota, Phoenix and Atlanta traded away their picks. Las Vegas forfeited its pick following an investigation by the league in 2023 that found the franchise violated league rules regarding impermissible player benefits and workplace policies.
Lynx acquire forward Samuelson from Mystics
The Minnesota Lynx acquired forward Karlie Samuelson in a trade with the Washington Mystics on Monday for their 2026 first-round draft pick.
The 6-foot Samuelson has career averages of 5.6 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game over six WNBA seasons. She scored a career-best 8.4 points per game last year, her first with the Mystics, while shooting 39.8 per cent from 3-point range to rank 13th in the league. Samuelson was originally signed by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2018.
The Lynx acquired a different 2026 first-round pick in a separate trade with the Chicago Sky on Sunday in exchange for their first-rounder — 11th overall — this year. The draft was being held Monday.
