Paige Bueckers completed one chapter of her basketball career this past Sunday, helping lead UConn to the NCAA women's national championship in her final collegiate game.
Another chapter will begin Monday, when she will almost certainly hear her name called first overall in the WNBA draft.
Eight days after the Huskies concluded the NCAA Division I women’s basketball season with the program's 12th national title, the WNBA draft will be held in New York City with the Dallas Wings possessing the first pick.
And just like a year ago, there's little doubt who will be drafted first.
Bueckers is considered the best overall player in this year's draft and the clear-cut No. 1, much like Caitlin Clark was the consensus top pick in 2024.
If she does go first, she'll become the sixth player from UConn to be drafted first overall. No other school has had more than two of their former players selected first.
This will be the 29th draft in WNBA history, and for the first time in 17 years, the league welcomes an expansion team.
The Golden State Valkyries will make their first ever selection at No. 5 overall in the 12-pick first round.
The first round will have one fewer pick than the second and third rounds after the Las Vegas Aces forfeited their first-round pick following a league investigation that found a violation of rules.
The Seattle Storm pick after the Wings, but it's the Washington Mystics who are in the driver's seat in this year's draft.
They'll select third, fourth and sixth, giving them an opportunity to build quite a foundation for years to come.
While the Mystics own half of the first six selections, five teams won't pick in the opening round as Atlanta, Indiana, New York and Phoenix all traded away their picks, while the Aces lost theirs.
An underlying storyline of this year's draft is who won't be selected because they've decided not to turn pro - yet.
With a new collective bargaining agreement expected to be settled prior to the 2026 season, some sure-fire top picks have opted to remain in college to take advantage of name, image and likeness deals for another year before cashing in on the new CBA.
Guard Olivia Miles earned All-American honours at Notre Dame this past season and was projected to be selected second behind Bueckers, but is eyeing a bigger payday at TCU, where she announced she was transferring to on Tuesday.
LSU star guard Flau'Jae Johnson, who reportedly makes more than $1million in NIL deals, will stay in college, National Defensive Player of the Year Lauren Betts signed a NIL deal to remain at UCLA and Azzi Fudd has decided she’ll return to UConn, fresh off being named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.
With a slew of stars opting out, it’s anyone's guess on how the draft will play out.
That is, of course, after Bueckers goes No. 1.
A generational talent, Buckers is poised to become the 48th player drafted into the WNBA from UConn – and is viewed as one of the best prospects to come out of the storied program. The 6-foot guard averaged 19.9 points and shot 41.9 per cent from 3-point range during the 2024-25 season, and also excels on the defensive end. The expectation is she'll make an immediate impact with the Wings, teaming in the Dallas backcourt with four-time WNBA All-Star guard Arike Ogunbowale.
With Miles foregoing this year's draft, that opened the door for French phenom Dominique Malonga to be selected second by the Storm. At only 19 years old, many view Malonga as possessing the highest ceiling of anyone in this draft class.
She played on France's silver-medal winning team at last year's Paris Olympics and averaged 15.0 points and 10.3 rebounds while leading Lyon to the semi-finals of EuroCup Women.
Drawing comparisons to compatriot Victor Wembanyama, the six-foot-six Malonga has a seven-foot-one wingspan, and not only can be dominant in the paint, but can also shoot the 3. Only nine players stood 6-foot-6 or taller in the WNBA last season, so Malonga will instantly become one of the most imposing bigs in the league when she makes her debut.
Things will now get interesting, with the Mystics beginning their mini-residency on the draft stage. The franchise is in full rebuild mode after obtaining the third pick from the Chicago Sky in a trade for Arel Atkins and acquiring the No. 6 pick in a prior trade.
The order in which Washington makes its first two selections is inconsequential, but it appears Notre Dame two-way guard Sonia Citron and Southern California forward Kiki Iriafen will be drafted by the Mystics.
It's possible that one of Malonga's Lyon teammates in the French basketball league, Juste Jocyte, also lands in the nation's capital at No. 6.
Though it's also possible, the Valkyries make the 19-year-old Lithuanian the franchise's first-ever draft pick at No. 5.
Jocyte may be young, but she should have no problem transitioning to the WNBA seeing as she has developed a toughness over the years, playing professionally since she was just 14. An adept ball-handler, Jocyte is able to play either guard position and can score in a variety of ways.
Aneesah Morrow of LSU, Hailey Van Lith from TCU and Maryland's Shyanne Sellers are also all likely top-10 picks, but exactly where they get selected is uncertain.
All the recent deferrals by likely first-round round picks have shaken up the prospect rankings, adding to the intrigue of this year's draft order.
Except for at the top spot, where Bueckers is the overwhelming favourite.
The Wings are now on the clock.