UConn star Paige Bueckers said having the opportunity to play more college basketball, especially alongside her currently injured teammates, will be a “deciding factor” in whether she decides to declare for the 2024 WNBA draft.
“I think that’s what it’s all about,” Bueckers, the 2021 national player of the year, told reporters Tuesday. “It’s not about teams in the draft; who’s got what pick. It’s all about me loving playing here, me loving my teammates and wanting to get more experiences and more time with them and more time in the program.
“And so that’s I think the deciding factor — just wanting to be here longer and not anything necessarily that’s already picked and chosen in the draft.”
Bueckers is currently projected to be the No. 3 overall pick in ESPN’s latest mock draft, if she declares. She is averaging 19.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.2 steals per game this season, while shooting 53.9% from the field and a career-best 50.8% from 3.
A year that started with so…
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