Could UConn's Paige Bueckers become a women’s basketball pioneer?
The best show in college basketball doesn't reside in the men's NCAA Tournament.
It resides in Storrs, Connecticut, and goes by the name of Paige Bueckers.
Bueckers, the freshman sensation for the Connecticut Huskies, poured in 18 points against the Iowa Hawkeyes in a 92-72 Sweet 16 win on Saturday. And the 5-11 guard showed once again that she is a complete player, adding nine rebounds and eight assists in a performance that was typical of her entire season.
Bueckers entered college basketball as the top recruit in the 2020 freshman class and has not only lived up to that hype but exceeded it in many ways.
She has averaged 19.8 points and 4.9 rebounds this season, earning numerous accolades along the way, including being named both Big East Freshman and Player of the Year, Most Outstanding Player of the Big East Tournament, and an All-American.
She also is a finalist for the Wooden Award, and would be the first freshman in the history of the women's game to win it.
The Huskies' freshman phenom has taken her game to an even higher level so far in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 20.6 PPG in leading UConn to the Elite Eight.
Bueckers' magical freshman campaign has captured the imagination of basketball fans across the country, including that of UConn legend Diana Taurasi, who has high praise for the young guard.
While her play has garnered the praise of one of the greatest basketball players ever, a different conversation about Bueckers' impact on basketball was posed by Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green during Saturday's game against Iowa.
Green wondered why Bueckers couldn't declare for the WNBA Draft after her freshman season and argued that it might be good for women's basketball if she did.
And Green isn't the only one who had the same question while watching Bueckers continue to light up the NCAA Tournament. Various media members chimed in, questioning the WNBA's collective bargaining agreement.
The WNBA's salary cap has risen over the past year to $1.3 million, a 30% increase from the previous $1 million cap number. But the main issue holding back Bueckers and other college basketball stars from declaring for the WNBA Draft early is the age requirement.
The current age limit to enter the WNBA is 22. That would mean Bueckers, 19, would have to exhaust all four years of her NCAA eligibility before being able to enter the draft.
This is the way it's been for years. WNBA icons such as Taurasi, Maya Moore, Elena Delle Donne, Sue Bird and others spent all four years in college, building up women's college basketball while delaying their earning potential.
Candace Parker spent four seasons at the University of Tennessee but only played three after redshirting her freshman season due to injury. She bypassed her senior season to turn pro and was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft.
Can you imagine if Kevin Durant had delayed his NBA career and been forced to play four years at Texas? Or if LeBron James had been forced to spend four years in college? The idea seems absurd.
So, with the women's game constantly growing and evolving on the court, is it time for the game to evolve off of the court as well? Bueckers, just a freshman, already has a claim to being the best player in college basketball. What does she have left to gain at the collegiate level?
The NBA's collective bargaining agreement states that players must be 19 years old before entering the league. Perhaps it's time for the WNBA to follow suit.
What better player to break the mold than Bueckers, who has the star power and the game to back up the hype? Who better to challenge the WNBA age limit?
She just might be the chosen one.
