WASHINGTON — Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers was a runaway choice for WNBA Rookie of the Year after one of the best debut seasons in league history.

Bueckers received 70 of the 72 votes from sports writers and broadcasters in balloting announced by the league on Tuesday. The other two went to Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron.

Bueckers, who in a whirlwind week last spring went from leading UConn to its 12th national championship to being drafted with the No. 1 overall pick, was a bright spot on a team that tied the Chicago Sky with a league-worst 10-34 record. The AP Rookie of the Year, she averaged 19.2 points on 47.7% shooting along with 3.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.6 steals.

But those numbers don’t tell the complete story.

Her 692 points and 194 assists were the third most by a WNBA rookie. The highlight was when she scored 44 in a loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on Aug. 20.

It was the WNBA’s highest point total this season and the most ever by a rookie. She also became the first player in league history to score 40 or more while shooting 80% in a game. That performance came near the end of a 30-game double-digit streak, the third longest to start a career behind A’ja Wilson’s 33 games in 2018 and Candace Parker’s 32 games in 2008.

Though Bueckers was widely expected to receive rookie of the year honors, the way she was presented the trophy was a surprise — ahead of an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show. She was walking through the program’s Spirit Tunnel when Commissioner Cathy Engelbert stopped her.

“I bet I’m the last person you thought you’d see on this cool spirit tunnel,” she said before handing the trophy to a grinning Bueckers. “But I’m here to present you with the 2025 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year Award. Congratulations.”

The crew chanted “Rookie of the Year! Rookie of the Year!” as Bueckers headed toward the studio. She turned and thanked them.

Bueckers made an immediate impact when she arrived at UConn in 2020. She was the consensus national player of the year as a freshman and became a three-time All-American. She played just 17 games her second season and sat out the 2022-23 campaign with a torn ACL.

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