Last season, Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark redefined what it meant to be an effective player as a rookie in the WNBA. After being selected No. 1 overall out of Iowa, she immediately took the league by storm.
As a result, expectations are heighted for Paige Bueckers, the top pick in this year's draft. Despite an illustrious career at UConn that was capped off by a national championship, she is still catching shade early in her career.
The WNBA general managers recently came together for a survey, and answered several questions about the outlook of the 2025 season and beyond. To the surprise of many fans, Bueckers was not considered to be the rookie with the most potential in her class.
Paige Bueckers catches serious disrespect in WNBA GM survey
According to the results of the survery, 60% of general managers believe the Seattle Storm's Dominique Malonga will be the best player in five years, whereas only 40% chose Bueckers.
To be fair, this is a mere projection based on Malonga's unbelievable physical abilities. She will still have to grow into her potential, whereas Bueckers is already a top-notch player.
The same general managers voted with a 73% majority that Bueckers would win the league's Rookie of the Year Award this season, whereas only 18% opted for Malonga and 9% chose the Mystics' Sonia Citron.
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Bueckers got off to an okay start in her WNBA career, but it is far from the debut that most expected from her. She scored 10 points and recorded seven rebounds, but she only shot 30% from the floor and had as many turnovers as assists. She and the Wings also got beaten soundly at home by the Minnesota Lynx, although they did keep the contest close in the first half.
Time will tell what kind of player Bueckers will be in five years, but it is shocking to see the No. 1 overall pick not considered to have the highest upside in the class.