- NCAA. Paige Bueckers sets sights on WNBA as 2025 draft looms
- NCAA. Paige Bueckers' latest move deeply worries Dallas
Paige Bueckers just sent shockwaves through the basketball world with her latest move, and her soon-to-be Dallas Wings teammate DiJonai Carrington is losing it, in the best way. College hoops analyst Rebecca Lobo dropped the news on ESPN that Bueckers, the UConn superstar, officially declared for the 2025 WNBA Draft, ending months of will-she-won't-she buzz.
Carrington had a wild reaction on X, where the Wings guard fired off a giddy, "yeeeeee hawwwww," emojis and all, tipping her hat to the Texas vibes. With Dallas holding the No. 1 pick, this duo's future is looking spicy, and fans are eating it up.
Bueckers has been a slam-dunk lock for the top spot-her 2024-25 stats boast 19.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4 assists per game. Carrington, fresh off a Most Improved Player nod with 12.7 points and All-Defensive honors in 2024, ed the Wings via trade from the Sun in February.
"She's a hooper through and through," Carrington said of teammate Arike Ogunbowale at a March 26 presser, and now she's clearly hyped to add Bueckers to that mix. X posts are buzzing, with one fan cheered: "DiJonai and Paige together? Wings are stacking the deck!"
Bueckers' latest move sparks DiJonai Carrington's hype
The Wings' 9-31 flop last season had fans thirsty for a turnaround, and Bueckers' decision is a game-changer. Rumors had swirled that she might skip Dallas for another year at UConn or a trade flex à la Eli Manning. But nope, she's in, and Carrington's cowboy-energy post screams excitement for a squad already packing Ogunbowale's scoring punch and NaLyssa Smith's rebounding grit. "It's gonna be huge for us," Smith said about their new TV deal at that same presser.
Carrington's reaction isn't just hype, it's personal. Traded to Dallas to reunite with her girlfriend Smith, she's all-in on this Texas chapter. Posts on X speculate she's itching to lock down foes while Bueckers lights up the offense-think 2024's 25.8-point NCAA tourney average, per Dallas News.
"Paige is an incredible talent," Wings coach Chris Koclanes gushed on January 9, per ClutchPoints, and Carrington's "yeeeeee hawwwww" vibes say she's ready to ride that wave. With the draft hitting April 14, this pairing's got Wings fans dreaming big-and loud.