The 2025 WNBA Draft Lottery took place on Sunday night with all eyes on one prize.
Paige Bueckers.
Paige Bueckers is expected to be the WNBA’s No.1 pick in 2025Credit: Getty
The UConn Huskies star is the consensus No. 1 pick in next year’s draft and is touted as a potential franchise-changer much like Caitlin Clark was for the Indiana Fever in 2024.
The Dallas Wings came out on top in the lottery with the No. 1 pick, winning the sweepstakes for Bueckers ahead of the Los Angeles Sparks at No. 2, the Chicago Sky at No. 3, and the Washington Mystics at No. 4.
Thanks to a prior trade, only the Wings, Sparks, and Mystics had a chance at securing the top selection.
The reason is that back in 2023, Chicago made a trade with the Wings involving guard Marina Mabrey. As part of that deal, the Sky surrendered their 2025 first-round pick rights in a swap scenario.
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese’s Team USA basketball era starts now ahead of LA 2028
So even if the Sky would have landed the top spot in the lottery, the Wings would have had the option to take it from them.
Chicago forward and rookie phenom Angel Reese represented the Sky at the lottery as her team learned their fate.
Following the Wings winning the No. 1 overall pick, Reese sent a bold offer to Dallas forward Maddy Siegrist, who was also in attendance, asking if she still wanted to swap picks, referring to the aforementioned trade.
“Do you still wanna switch or……..?” Reese said immediately after the results were in.
Her reaction draw laughter from others on the stage.
Following the result, Reese sent social media into a frenzy by possibly revealing who she wants the Sky to use the No. 3 pick on.
Bueckers has publicly said this will be her last season at UConn.Credit: Getty
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Reese was present at the WNBA Draft Lottery and made it clear she’s a big fan of BueckersCredit: Getty
“HVL [Hailey Van Lith],” Reese said. “that’s all ima say.”
However, some argued Reese was just was giving praise to Van Lith for her performance while playing for the TCU Horned Frogs on Sunday.
Van Lith dropped 18 points – with 10 assists and four rebounds – as TCU beat NC State 76-73.
The 23-year-old spent one year alongside Reese at LSU, but a potential reunion could be on the cards.
While Bueckers is the presumptive No. 1 pick, she is actually eligible for another season in college.
During her freshman year, the star guard received an extra season of eligibility due to Covid-19.
However, she has said publicly said this will be her last season at UConn.
She was also able to redshirt in the 2022-23 season after tearing her ACL before it began, causing her to miss it entirely.
“I hope she goes to a team that she is exactly what they need, whatever that team is,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said last month.
“Paige is going to be all right wherever she goes.”
Whoever they pick as first overall, the Wings will seek to return to the playoffs next season after an injury-plagued 9-31 run in 2024.
The Sky, meanwhile, have ended up with the No. 3 pick in the draft for the second year in a row.
Last time around, the franchise selected South Carolina Gamecocks center Kamilla Cardoso, who has already shown her exciting potential.
As well as the No. 3 pick, the Sky also have the 10th pick of the 2025 WNBA Draft.
