The 2025 WNBA Draft saw its teams pick 38 college players to join the big leagues. The Monday night event included big wins for stars like Paige Bueckers and Hailey Van Lith, while other players, like the controversial Sedona Prince, were faced with disappointment.
According to USA Today, Bueckers was the belle of the ball after the Dallas Wings selected her as the No. 1 overall draft pick. The 23-year-old, who led the University of Connecticut’s Huskies women’s basketball team to its first national championship in eight years after two serious knee injuries, is the sixth UConn play to earn the coveted No. 1 spot in the draft.
Paige Bueckers on being the No. 1 draft pick
“They mean everything to me, all they’ve helped me get through, all the ups and downs, the highs and lows, they’ve seen every side of me, and the love there is unconditional, so forever grateful for them,” Bueckers said during the draft of her UConn teammates. “I want to cherish that relationship for the rest of my life, and I wouldn’t be here without them. I just want to show a state of gratitude to them.”
Bueckers is a three-time first-team AP All-American with stats that prove why her nickname is “Paige Buckets.” Last season, she averaged 19.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists.
Her brand partnerships are just as impressive, having already scored endorsement deals with Gatorade, Bose, Dunkin’ Donuts, Verizon, and Nike. With the latter, she has a signature shoe design, the Paige Bueckers G.T. Hustle 3, which marked the first time a college athlete designed and released a Nike basketball shoe under its new name, image, and likeness rules.
Bueckers has raked in several other accolades throughout her collegiate career, including The Associated Press designation of her as Player of the Year and Naismith College Player of the Year.
Hailey Van Lith to reunite with former teammate Angel Reese
Van Lith will join former college teammate Angel Reese in Chicago as the Sky selected the point guard at No. 11 in the draft, ESPN reported. Lith and Reese played together at Louisiana State University during the 2023-24 season.
After the Tigers lost in the Elite Eight that season, Van Lith transferred to Texas Christian University, joining the school’s Horned Frogs women’s basketball team.
Reese celebrated their reunion on social media.
“We ain’t do it right the first time. Let’s run it backkkkk,” Reese wrote in a retweet of the Sky’s announcement of Van Lith’s selection with 🫣.
Van Lith is just as excited to join the Sky and reunite with Reese. According to NBC Sports, the 23-year-old said she can’t wait to get back to work.
“We both are just tough dogs on the court,” Van Lith said of Reese. “I mean, she’s willing to do things that aren’t pretty to win, and I’m talking about aggressive rebounding, defense, things that aren’t what we call sexy basketball.”
Van Lith added, “She’s willing to execute those things to get a win. And I think that I share that character trait with her.”
On May 2, Reese and Van Lith will make their combined comeback when the Sky take on the Brazilian national team in a preseason game at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, ESPN reported.
Sedona Prince’s basketball career is in limbo after not being drafted
Prince wasn’t as fortunate as the 6-foot-7, 24-year-old was not one of the 38 players drafted by a WNBA team, The Associated Press reported. Prince, who just finished her last year of college basketball at Texas Christian University, where she helped the team reach the Elite Eight for the first time in history, may be invited for a tryout by a team; if not, playing overseas may be her best option if she wishes to continue playing.
Per the AP, Prince has made headlines for her efforts to highlight how the NCAA treated men and women during its tournaments. She’s also a lead plaintiff in a history-making antitrust lawsuit advocating for college athletes.
However, she drew controversy for headlines and allegations surrounding her personal relationships. As the AP reported, “in January, Prince was involved in a physical altercation with a woman she used to date, and both women filed police reports alleging they were assaulted. Prince’s lawyer, A. Boone Almanza, acknowledged that campus police responded to a disturbance on Jan. 18 at Prince’s off-campus residence after a call from the player. Almanza said that no charges have been filed.”
Prince has denied all allegations, stating that she has never “abused anyone in her life, whether mentally, emotionally or physically.”
