UConn Huskies star player Paige Bueckers may still have the chance to be part of the Los Angeles Sparks, the WNBA team she has long been rumored to be interested in, as the recent move from the Sparks front office implied that they are expecting a major decision from the college star soon.
Sports anchor and host Elle Duncan addressed the rumors of Paige Bueckers using her option to play for one more year in college as a way for her to avoid getting drafted by the Dallas Wings, and still have the chance to get to the Los Angeles Sparks.
“Part of the reason why the Sparks were so willing to trade away that number two overall pick is that there’s some whispers that maybe Paige Bueckers will use that other year of eligibility and stay in college,” Duncan said.
The Los Angeles Sparks traded away their first pick in a three-team deal involving the Seattle Storm and Las Vegas Aces. In this trade, the Sparks acquired All-Star guard Kelsey Plum from the Las Vegas Aces and also received the No. 9 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. In return, the Sparks gave up their coveted No. 2 overall pick to the Seattle Storm, who also sent forward Kia Nurse to the Sparks.
Paige Bueckers might choose to play one more season in college for several reasons. One of the biggest reasons why many have speculated this was because she missed the 2022-2023 season due to an ACL injury, so she might want to complete her eligibility and have another shot at winning an NCAA title with UConn.
Additionally, with the rise of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals, Bueckers can earn significant income from brand partnerships while still in college, which might make staying another year financially attractive.
Since the Sparks have shown interest in Bueckers, losing the first pick for this year’s draft can still make signing Bueckers possible. This would allow the Sparks a chance to draft her in 2026, giving them a star player to build around for the future.
Paige Bueckers References Luka Doncic Trade Over New Hairstyle
In the recent game of the UConn Huskies against the Butler Bulldogs, Paige Bueckers brought a shock to everyone as she entered the basketball court not sporting her trademark braid, but instead went for a no-braid style.
When asked about it, she downplayed the questions and referenced the Luka Doncic trade as a joke.
“See, the world woke up to Luka getting traded to the Lakers. So crazier things have happened,” Pager Bueckers jokingly said. “But, I mean, nah, this is like a one-time thing. My friend Kayla was sick. Jana got a little under the weather, so I think this is just a one-time thing.”
“The world woke up to Luka getting traded to the Lakers, so crazier things have happened”@ChelseaSherrod asks Paige Bueckers about her hair during today’s game pic.twitter.com/z2547UOJfY
— UConn on SNY (@SNYUConn) February 2, 2025
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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.
