The Paige Bueckers head to Dallas for his or her first choose of Monday night time within the WNBA Draft.
The versatile UConn star is Go No. 1’s newest Huskies standout, becoming a member of former greats Sue Hen, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore and Breanna Stewart.
“Dallas I am very excited, a brand new metropolis, a brand new begin,” Bookers stated. “It is a new begin, so get it.”
The Bueckers received Whirlwind Week after serving to UConn win the twelfth Nationwide Championship on April sixth. On Sunday, she participated within the Husky Championship Parade.
Her UConn teammates, which imply a lot to her, and Geno coach Auriemma, attended the draft. The draft was held in Shed, New York, with a whole lot of followers attending. Bookers choked when speaking about her former Husky teammate.
“They imply all the pieces to me. They helped me get by way of the highs and lows,” Bookers stated.
The Bueckers are a fantastic 3-point shooter sport that scored 42.3% (236 of 558) of her makes an attempt in 4 seasons with the Huskies. She knocked down 70 this season.
Seattle rapidly adopted Dallas’ alternative by taking 19-year-old French star Dominique Malonga on his second choose. The 6-foot-6 Malonga was a part of the silver medal that received the French Olympic basketball workforce.
The Washington Mystics, together with their new coach and common supervisor, positioned Notre Dame’s Sonia Citron in fourth on their third choose and Southern Cal’s Kiki Iliafen.
The Prolonged Golden State Valkyries have created Lithuanian Simply Jocyte, the primary draft choice within the historical past of the franchise.
The primary spherical has 12 picks, with 13 in every of the final two rounds.
Six groups aren’t selecting within the opening spherical as New York, Indiana, Minnesota, Phoenix and Atlanta traded picks. Las Vegas confiscated its alternative after discovering the franchise violated the league’s guidelines concerning unacceptable participant advantages and office insurance policies following a 2023 investigation.
Lynx will get Samuelson ahead from Mystics
Minnesota Hyperlinks acquired ahead Carly Samuelson on Monday in commerce with Washington mystics for the 2026 first spherical draft choose.
The 6-foot Samuelson has a profession common of 5.6 factors, 2.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per sport over six WNBA seasons. She scored a career-high 8.4 factors per sport final yr, 8.4 factors. This was the primary to win with Mystics, whereas incomes 39.8% from the 3-point vary to thirteenth place within the league. Samuelson was initially signed by Los Angeles Sparks in 2018.
Lynx acquired the 2026 first spherical choose in one other commerce with Chicago Sky on Sunday in change for the primary spherical of the yr (eleventh total). The draft was held on Monday.
