2025 has been the year things have gone Paige Bueckers’ way. Every right win added. Every prediction gone right. But it has only just started. Curt Miller is setting expectations for a 50/40/90 finish, and ESPN has her as the early favorite in the Rookie of the Year race. “Competitive, confident and delusional,” Geno Auriemma calls her. But would that be enough to tick the last few boxes to end her year right? Maybe. But let us tell you, she has got some serious hurdles on the way. Maybe even one of her own principles.

You think No.1 pick, you think ROTY. That was true for Caitlin Clark. It was true for Aliyah Boston. The tunes are already in place for Paige Bueckers, too. But she isn’t going undisputed. On The Ringer WNBA Show, there came a hot take– Sonia Citron will win the ROTY honor this season. And host Seerat Sohi did not deny.

“I definitely think this is possible,” she starts. “Look, I love Sonia Citron; I’ve been singing the praises of Sonia Citron… I think she is WNBA ready.” 

Citron is definitely an underrated pick from the Mystics; she is a versatile defender, grabbing around 6 rebounds per game in her college days, and efficient in the attack. “She was the glue player for me in Notre Dame,” is what her college coach Niele Ivey has said. But it was in her preseason debut that she truly shone. To Paige Bueckers’ 10 points, 4 rebounds, and an assist, Citron would add 15 points and 4 rebounds on 5-of-6 shooting. She also showed up on the defensive end with a steal and a block, holding her own against the likes of DeWanna Bonner. Paige can fill up the stat sheet, too. But there could be a few roadblocks coming her way.

“I think that part of where this take is coming from probably has something to do with Paige’s debut. Look, I think she had a good debut… [But] I do think that she will struggle a little bit with the physicality of the league,” Sohi continued. More than a few would nod to that. Bueckers and Miller themselves, too. The No.1 draftee listed it as one of the adjustments, alongside pace, that she needs to make in the league. The Wings GM had tagged along, saying, “She will have to navigate the comparisons to the adjustment that Caitlin [Clark] had.” Rightfully so.

If anyone showed the world that rookies aren’t treated differently by the veterans in the WNBA, it was Caitlin. But she turned it around, commanding the court, scoring at will and matching the physicality of the league. We can expect a similar graph for Bueckers. She may be overwhelmed, but Bueckers is excited and determined enough to adapt and overcome. Maybe why Sohi goes on to give a conclusion her favor. 

“I think from a narrative perspective, like, I think that the Sonia stuff will jump out at first, and then things will settle down. I do think that Paige will eventually win Rookie of the Year,” she says. But Paige’s going to have to be careful about one more thing– trying to get her teammates involved.

The former UConn Husky has always been a team-first player. She made that clear in college, and she has expressed a similar sentiment in the pros. She has admitted wanting to be a distributor first, rather than going out to kill it every night. But the podcaster believes that cannot last long. If Bueckers is going to meet expectations of franchise, remain ahead of the race, and get her team going, she is going to have to show up in more than one aspect.

Wings have put together a solid team bringing in DiJonai Carrington, Tyasha Harris, and NaLyssa Smith. Then, Arike Ogunbowale and Teaira McCowan are bringing in scoring and the veteran presence. The core is new, so it might take a while to have a rotation that works. Once it clicks, Bueckers better not stop in the race to that coveted Rookie of the Year trophy.

Betting odds find Paige Bueckers as the favourite to win Rookie of the Year

The betting odds on the 2025 Rookie of the Year winner on FanDuel Sportsbook currently favor Paige Bueckers, which is no surprise, with -310 (bet $10 to win $13.23 total). Her debut might have decreased this a little but she still remains the clear, out-and-out best freshman on paper. Coming off that Nationals win, she averaged 20 points, 5.8 assists and 4.9 rebounds and shot 52.4 percent for the Huskies (28-2).

The next player behind Bueckers is Seattle’s Dominique Malonga at +500. The youngest player ever to be drafted in WNBA history at 19 is yet to debut for Seattle, but she has proved her worth in Europe. She’s going to be a tough player for Bueckers to overcome. The rest of the list is as follows:

WNBA Rookie of the Year 2025

Paige Bueckers, Wings: -310 (bet $10 to win $13.23 total)
Dominique Malonga, Storm: +500 (bet $10 to win $60 total)
Sonia Citron, Mystics: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Kiki Iriafen, Mystics: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
Aneesah Morrow, Sun: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Hailey Van Lith, Sky: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Saniya Rivers, Sun: +6000 (bet $10 to win $610 total)
Juste Jocyte, Valkyries: +6000 (bet $10 to win $610 total)
Ajsa Sivka, Sky: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)
Aziaha James, Wings: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)
Te-Hina Paopao, Dream: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)

The expectations for Bueckers are undeniably high. Meanwhile, Sonia Citron—who we’ve already discussed—sits third on the list, but there’s a noticeable gap between her and Malonga for now. As for the Dallas Wings, they’ll kick off their season against the Minnesota Lynx on May 17, and all eyes will be on how these rising stars perform.