How many years of eligibility does Paige Bueckers have left? Exploring the UConn phenom’s college and pro prospects

UConn's Paige Bueckers is among the most recognizable names in women's basketball, and she's not even a pro yet. Just like her peers, she's making a name on the hardwood as a member of the best women's hoops squad in the Big East (and one of the best in the nation).

Bueckers will eventually go pro; there's no question about it, but when? Let's have a look at her remaining eligibility years for UConn and where her basketball career could realistically end up, either in another college or in the WNBA.

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How many years of eligiblity does Paige Bueckers have?

A recent post by TheUConnBlog revealed that beyond the 2023-24 season, Bueckers has two years of eligibility remaining.

Those years are due to a redshirt season and the COVID-19 ruling. Either way, despite the two years she has left to be a college basketball player, Bueckers can enter the 2024 WNBA Draft if she wishes (more on her draft prospects later).

For now, Bueckers remains undecided on where her career is headed, saying last summer regarding her situation:

“I’ve really learned in all that I’ve been through not to speak about the future because you never know what’s going to happen. So I’m just trying to stay present stay in the moment. But you never know. I have no idea. So we’ll see.”

The redshirt junior only played one full season for UConn (her freshman year), but that was more than enough to put her name on the map. As a youngster, she has won these awards (via Sporting News):

• Wooden Award
• Naismith Trophy
• USBWA Player of the Year
• AP Player of the Year

Bueckers also led the Lady Huskies that season in points (581), assists (168), steals (66) and 3-point field-goal percentage (46.4).

She also set the freshman record for total assists (168) and the single-game assist record against Butler (14). As one of the most hyped women's basketball prospects coming out of high school, she has lived up to it and then some.

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Paige Bueckers' WNBA draft prospects

If Paige Bueckers decides to enter the 2024 WNBA Draft, her stock would give her the chance to be a lottery pick.

She's the 22nd-best scorer in the nation (22.0 PPG) on an efficient (for a guard) 55.1 perceng FG shooting. As a result, most mock drafts have her going early in the first round.

Where, exactly? Well, likely everyone knows who's going to get picked #1: Iowa's Caitlin Clark to the Indiana Fever, as per a December 2023 Mock Draft by Yahoo Sports.

Paige Bueckers follows suit as a projected second overall pick to the LA Sparks. She eclipses Stanford's Cameron Brink (Phoenix Mercury), her UConn teammate Aaliyah Edwards (Seattle Storm) and Virginia Tech's Georgia Amoore (Dallas Wings).

That's quite likely if the heralded UConn guard's injury troubles don't rear their ugly head again.