Nobody expected Caitlin Clark’s rookie records to face any serious challenge this soon. But Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers is rewriting the script. Continuing her remarkable debut season, the rising star has been named WNBA Rookie of the Month for July. Bueckers impressed with averages of 18.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game, solidifying her case as one of the league’s most electrifying newcomers.

The Dallas Wings celebrated the announcement on X with a fitting reaction, “LET’S GOOOOOOO.” With this latest honor, Paige Bueckers is now halfway to matching the rookie-season record set by the Indiana Fever star. Caitlin Clark earned the WNBA Rookie of the Month award four times during her rookie campaign in the 2024 season, specifically in May, July, August, and September. Bueckers, meanwhile, has already secured the award twice in a row in the 2025 season, continuing her bid upwards.

Her June performance was just as electric. Over seven games, the Wings guard averaged 21.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.7 steals per game, while shooting an elite 92.9 percent from the free throw line. After back-to-back Rookie of the Month honors, she has firmly positioned herself as the frontrunner for the 2025 Rookie of the Year award.

She currently leads all rookies in minutes played (34.4), field goals made per game (6.8), and assists (5.5), showing remarkable consistency on both ends of the court. Recently, she set a new WNBA rookie benchmark. She became the fastest player to reach 400 points and 100 assists, accomplishing the feat in just 22 games. That pace matches WNBA legend Cynthia Cooper’s 1997 mark.

Her turnover rate remains impressively low at just 2.1 per game, and she’s delivered multiple clutch performances in close contests. However, her team’s abysmal season may hinder her playoff chances. Still, another name from her university is soaring just as high. And that name is Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier.

Paige Bueckers and Napheesa Collier of UConn script WNBA history

It’s a great month to be a former UConn player in the WNBA. Rookie sensation Paige Bueckers continues to shine, earning back-to-back Rookie of the Month honors for June and July. But her former teammate and veteran star, Napheesa Collier, raised the bar even higher. She secured her third consecutive Western Conference Player of the Month award in July, following dominant performances in May and June. Through 12 games in July, Collier averaged a league-leading 23.1 points on 55.1% shooting. While the two UConn players are leading the W, their connection goes way back.

The two played together in the USA Basketball when Bueckers was just in high school. Collier praised her game, stating, “I did play with Paige when she was in high school for USAB. We had a high schooler, a college player, and two WNBA players, and she was the best player on the team! It was awesome playing with her. She’s someone that I’ve always wanted to play with.”

Collier shared that she met Bueckers’ family during their time at UConn and has known them for several years. The two former teammates reunited on the court once again during the 2025 All-Star Weekend, highlighting a growing legacy of UConn excellence in the WNBA. Interestingly, their career trajectories are beginning to mirror each other. Collier captured Rookie of the Year honors in 2019, and with her standout performances this season, Bueckers is quickly emerging as the frontrunner for the 2025 award.