Now that the regular season is over, it’s time to tally the points, cast the votes, and crown the best performers of the year. And unsurprisingly, Paige Bueckers has officially been named the WNBA Rookie of the Year.
Considering how the rest of the rookie class performed, and how others were slowed down by injuries, Bueckers’ durability, consistency, and ability to lead the field were the deciding factors that set her apart. Many agreed that the award belonged to her long before the announcement.

The award also puts weight behind the hype that has followed Paige Bueckers since her early days. Carrying expectations was never easy, but this Rookie of the Year crown confirms she has made the leap from collegiate standout to professional star.
Paige Bueckers herself showed gratitude in a heartfelt message online:
“Thank you God for an amazing rookie year. Process over results. Unconditional joy and gratitude, so much to be thankful for. Love my squad, they all deserve Teammates of the Year in my book, nothing is possible without them. Now let’s keep on keeping on. Go Wings! Proverbs 16:9 ‘The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.’”
View this post on Instagram
Process over results. The emphasis that results doesn’t always come immediately, but work hard anyway. That short passage is a lesson not just in basketball, but in life as we know it. Sometimes people feel that their efforts, no matter how hard and how much, don’t bear the results immediately. But the Paige Bueckers mindset says let it be. Because in the end, if you stick to the process, outcomes result.
The Rookie of the Year award is only the beginning for Paige Bueckers, who continues to prove her ceiling is sky-high.
Paige Bueckers Sparks Arike Ogunbowale’s Obvious Response
After Paige Bueckers was officially crowned the WNBA Rookie of the Year, her Dallas Wings teammate Arike Ogunbowale made sure to let the world know what she thought about it. In true Ogunbowale fashion, she kept it short and simple with a post that read:
“duh!”

Ogunbowale had no doubt in her mind that the choice was clear and that it was the obvious choice. And the crowds who were witness to Paige Bueckers’ performance would all agree that only a handful of players did what she did. Paige whas the top rookie among the bunch.
The award was well deserved. And everyone knows it. Arike says that it’s a no-brainer. And in truth, there wasn’t really much doubt at all, anyway. In the end, Paige Bueckers stands head and shoulders above the talented rookies the WNBA 2025 season has produced.

For more sports content:
Follow us @HardwoodHeroics for your NBA and college basketball reading fix. You can reach out to Dan Agulto through email at papadanph@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest sports news, click here!
Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.