Paige Bueckers dances her way to clinch WNBA ROY after historic season

Paige Bueckers literally danced her way to the WNBA Rookie of the Year award during her appearance on the Jennifer Hudson show on Monday. Bueckers danced through the show's "Spirit Tunnel" to find WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert on the other end.

Engelbert greeted Bueckers, handing over the Rookie of the Year trophy to the Wings guard. It has been a phenomenal campaign for Bueckers. The No. 1 pick played 36 games for the Dallas Wings, averaging 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists, shooting an efficient 47.7%

Her stellar campaign has been rewarded with an even better presentation for what could be the first of many trophies Paige Bueckers will win in the league. While the 2025 draft class featured many talented players, Bueckers had set herself apart from her first week in the league.

Her combination of efficient scoring and solid playmaking, complemented by her consistency as a player, saw her become a runaway favorite for the award halfway through the season. Sonia Citron did close the gap with her own stretch of solid performances, but never quite threatened Bueckers' lead in the award race.

However, fans imagine the race might've been much closer if the Washington Mystics had managed to clinch a spot in the playoffs.

How many first-place votes did Paige Bueckers get in the Rookie of the Year race?

Paige Bueckers was two votes away from winning the 2025 Rookie of the Year award through a unanimous decision. The final vote tally, shared by Underdog WNBA on X, saw Bueckers get 70 first-place votes out of 72. The other two votes went to Mystics rookie Sonia Citron.

Citron also had a solid season, averaging 14.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists for the Mystics. But her numbers and impact weren't quite enough to match Bueckers, who gradually became the Wings' offensive engine in her first season with the team.

Bueckers might have won by a landslide, but the work is far from over. While she enjoyed a stellar individual season, the Wings went 10-34, tying them with the Chicago Sky for the worst record in the league. Unless she can deliver more positive results in her sophomore season, it won't take long for the fans' support to turn into criticism.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by Sameer Khan