Paige Bueckers has barely wrapped up her rookie year in the WNBA, but her impact already feels generational. The Dallas Wings guard, fresh off being named the 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year, earned another honor when Time recognized her as one of its 100 rising stars of the year, Yahoo reports. Among that group were only five athletes, and fellow UConn legend Diana Taurasi was chosen to write Bueckers’ profile.

Taurasi did not hold back. “Paige Bueckers is the best player on the court 99.99% of the time,” she wrote, praising her ability to disrupt plays defensively, score at will, and still choose to make the harder play: the pass. Taurasi explained that while shooting every possession would be easy for someone with Bueckers’ skill set, what truly separates her is the way she elevates everyone around her.

Bueckers averaged 19.2 points, 5.4 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.6 steals across 36 games in her debut season, despite missing time with injury and illness. She became the seventh UConn product to win Rookie of the Year, drawing 70 of 72 first-place votes. Though Dallas finished 10-30, Bueckers still led all rookies in scoring with 692 points, trailing only Caitlin Clark and Seimone Augustus in all-time rookie history.

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Taurasi’s glowing endorsement

Taurasi’s essay went beyond stats. She pointed to Bueckers’ leadership, her ability to command respect from teammates, and the rare balance of talent and selflessness that champions embody. “She does so in a way that encourages growth for everyone,” Taurasi wrote. “When we talk about great competitors and champions, your teammates have to like you. She gets the best out of her team because they love her.”

Taurasi also recalled seeing Bueckers capture an NCAA title with UConn before entering the draft as the first overall pick. For Taurasi, that championship run showed not just her skill but her drive to win for something larger than herself.

Coming from one of the greatest to ever step on a WNBA floor, this type of endorsement feels monumental. If Bueckers continues to build on her remarkable first year, the conversation may soon shift from her being a future star to her being one of the league’s defining forces.