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As the 2025 WNBA season tips off, few players are under more scrutiny than Paige Bueckers, the first overall pick in this year's draft and a former standout at UConn.
Now with the Dallas Wings, Bueckers is already being viewed as a potential face of the league-an honor that brings both prestige and intense pressure.
After leading the Huskies to a national championship with a combination of poised scoring, intelligent playmaking, and fierce competitiveness, Bueckers entered the WNBA surrounded by sky-high expectations.
Those projections were only intensified by the results of the WNBA's annual General Manager Survey, in which 40% of executives predicted Bueckers would become the best player in the league within five years.
Only Dominique Malonga of the Seattle Storm earned more with 60%.
Expectations of leadership and legacy
Bueckers topped the GM voting in the category of "most impactful rookie," with responses praising her advanced basketball IQ, composure, and unselfish playing style. Comparisons have already emerged between Bueckers and some of the most cerebral guards in league history-an indicator of how highly her talent and temperament are regarded within WNBA circles.
She now s a Dallas Wings squad that already features All-Star Arike Ogunbowale, giving the team one of the league's most intriguing backcourts.
Many observers believe Bueckers could immediately elevate Dallas into playoff contention, if not title relevance.
The GM consensus suggests she's more than capable of withstanding the glare of expectation, with some envisioning her as not only the centerpiece of the Wings, but the league's next breakout star.
Despite suffering injuries during her collegiate career that sidelined her at key moments, executives remain confident in her longevity.
Her playstyle-marked by efficient movement, sharp decision-making, and toughness-has convinced many that she's built for a lengthy and impactful professional career.
The boldest prediction yet? That Bueckers will be among the elite of the WNBA by the year 2030.
Those are lofty expectations for any rookie, especially one just beginning her transition from college to the pros.
If Bueckers can deliver on even half of what's being projected, she'll not only transform the Wings but may help define the next era of women's basketball.
All that remains now is for her to silence any lingering doubts the way she's done so many times before-on the court.