NCAA analyst Robin Lundberg addressed the rumors Paige Bueckers could refuse to play for Dallas Wings if they select her in this year’s WNBA draft.
On his YouTube channel, Lundberg didn’t give much credence to the rumors and said he didn’t see Bueckers disrespecting the Wings.
He also talked about comparisons to Eli Manning, who famously refused to play for the then-San Diego Chargers before the 2004 draft. The Chargers ended up selecting Manning no. 1 and traded him to the New York Giants.
“She didn’t seem thrilled, I can tell,” he said (7:23ff). “When the lottery happened and it wasn’t the Sparks and it ended up being the Wings, she didn’t seem thrilled. But if I had to bet, if I had to predict, if I had to guess, my gut feeling is that Paige won’t do it [pull a Manning].
“But I’m sharing it with you because someone who’s been doing this for a long time doesn’t think the same or at least hasn’t heard the same. I’m betting against it.”
Lundberg pointed out that Bueckers didn’t actually say anything about this and that it was just speculation.
“She [Bueckers] said that this is her last year in UConnso let’s give her words some credit here rather than, you know, the free time of the agency and all that time for rumors and speculation and all that to be thrown into space, thrown out there to debate, you know, argue and further.
“But there’s been no real indication from Paige that that might be the case. The implication is from what they in the league are saying. So to recap, if Paige were to do this, I guess she might be resistant to this point, but one would think that the move would come with a reaction for the player.”
Paige Bueckers is back in action this week
UConn stayed strong last week, going 2-0 in the absence of Paige Bueckers, who was sidelined with a sprained left knee. The Huskies secured two important Big East victories during her recovery.
Bueckers is scheduled to return this week as UConn continues conference play against St. John’s on the road and host Seton Hall at home. Her return comes as the Huskies climb to No. 6 in the AP Top 25 poll, following Texas’ slump in a loss to South Carolina.
With Paige Bueckers back in action, UConn is poised to continue its dominant performance and solidify its position atop the Big East standings.
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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash
