Stephon Castle capped off an impressive 2024-25 season by earning Rookie of the Year honors and made an immediate impact for the San Antonio Spurs. The young guard averaged 14.7 points and 4.1 assists in 81 games, including 47 starts. He had strong all-around contributions in the Spurs’ guard-heavy rotation, and he had consistent production, placing him among the league’s promising newcomers.

Meanwhile, over in the WNBA, Paige Bueckers claimed Rookie of the Year for the 2025 season, averaging an elite 19.2 points and 5.4 assists, showing poise, vision, and leadership as a young professional. This caused a fun coincidence, when, for the first time in one year, both league’s top rookies belonged to the same college (in this case, UConn).

Castle described his relationship with Bueckers recently in an interview, saying that, “Yeah, definitely, I’m super cool with Paige. She texted me when I won Rookie of the Year, and I told her she was next, and here we are. We both won it. Super happy for her, I was happy she actually got out of UConn with a natty too. We’ve been on the same path.” He noted that the ROTY achievement strengthened a bond that they had already started forming during their time together with the Huskies.

Despite their connection, however, Castle admitted that they had limited interaction at UConn. “Our practice facility was split up, so we didn’t see each other as much unless we were in the training room or getting food,” he said. He made it clear that even with minimal overlap in their routines, the mutual respect and camaraderie between the two of them remained, which demonstrates how meaningful professional relationships can develop even outside of constant proximity.

The parallel success in their leagues offers a confidence boost as well. Sharing ROTY recognition highlights the competitive drive that both of them have brought to their careers. Castle’s comments suggest that motivation is reinforced when he celebrates achievements alongside peers like Bueckers, which encourages sustained growth and performance on the court.

As they continue their careers, both Castle and Bueckers have set the stage for promising careers. Castle has positioned himself as a franchise cornerstone for the Spurs alongside Victor Wembanyama, and Bueckers has confirmed that she is a future leader in the WNBA.

Relationships Castle and Bueckers Share with their College Coaches

At just 20 years old, Stephon Castle has played under two influential coaches: San Antonio‘s Gregg Popovich and UConn’s Dan Hurley. His time with UConn was particularly impactful, helping him secure the second title in two years.

Speaking on lessons he learned from Hurley, he said, “From Coach Hurley, I feel like the biggest thing I learned playing under Coach Hurley was listen to the message that he was giving out, and not really the tone that it was coming in.” Hurley’s practices are famously intense, but Castle learned to extract value, regardless of how it was delivered to him.

Bueckers, meanwhile, played under legendary Women’s Basketball coach Geno Auriemma, known for leading the Huskies to a staggering 12 national titles. They maintain a close relationship even now, when Auriemma came to a Dallas Wings game to support her and fellow UConn alum Kaitlyn Chen. Speaking about him cheering her on, she said, “I could just hear him in the back of my mind, just all the lovely things that he would have to say. It was fun, it was cool. I was glad to see him.”