TAMPA, Florida (April 3, 2025) – Paige Bueckers of the University of Connecticut is the 2025 Wade Trophy winner and headlines the 2025 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches’ All-America team, announced today by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association. Mike Neighbors, chair of the WBCA NCAA Division I Awards Committee, presented the Wade Trophy to Bueckers here earlier today.
Now in its 48th year, the prestigious Wade Trophy is the oldest national player of the year award in college women’s basketball. The award is named in honor of the late, legendary Delta State University head coach Lily Margaret Wade, who won three consecutive national championships with the Lady Statesmen. The Wade Trophy is presented annually to the WBCA’s NCAA Division I Player of the Year.
“Paige Bueckers stands tall today, showing great perseverance and excellence as she finishes her college career,” said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew. “Paige earned numerous honors in her early college playing days before she was injured. Her return to national prominence this season has been inspiring and record-setting, and she has fueled UConn’s run to its 24th appearance in the Women’s Final Four. The WBCA awards Paige Bueckers the Wade Trophy, the most celebrated and historic player of the year award in the sport, in recognition for her significant contribution in lifting the game.”
Bueckers is the seventh Connecticut player to win the Wade Trophy. Previous Huskies to receive the award are two-time winner Breanna Stewart (2015, 2016); lone three-time winner Maya Moore (2009, 2010, 2011); Diana Taurasi (2003); Sue Bird (2002); Jennifer Rizzotti (1996); and Rebecca Lobo (1995).
The Coaches’ All-America team is composed of the 10 best players in NCAA Division I regardless of position as chosen by the division’s head coaches.
Here are the 2025 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches’ All-Americans:
| Player | Institution |
| Georgia Amoore | University of Kentucky |
| Lauren Betts | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Madison Booker | University of Texas |
| Paige Bueckers | University of Connecticut |
| Hannah Hidalgo | University of Notre Dame |
| Kiki Iriafen | University of Southern California |
| Aneesah Morrow | Louisiana State University |
| Sarah Strong | University of Connecticut |
| Hailey Van Lith | Texas Christian University |
| JuJu Watkins | University of Southern California |
Here are the student-athletes who received 2025 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches’ All-America honorable mention:
| Player | Institution |
| Sarah Ashlee Barker | University of Alabama |
| Raegan Beers | University of Oklahoma |
| Mikayla Blakes | Vanderbilt University |
| Zoe Brooks | North Carolina State University |
| Jaloni Cambridge | Ohio State University |
| Sonia Citron | University of Notre Dame |
| Audi Crooks | Iowa State University |
| Katie Dinnebier | Drake University |
| Yvonne Ejim | Gonzaga University |
| Rori Harmon | University of Texas |
| Stailee Heard | Oklahoma State University |
| Maud Huijbens | Gonzaga University |
| Aziaha James | North Carolina State University |
| Lauren Jensen | Creighton University |
| Flau’Jae Johnson | Louisiana State University |
| Kymora Johnson | University of Virginia |
| Ta’Niya Latson | Florida State University |
| Ayoka Lee | Kansas State University |
| Darianna Littlepage-Buggs | Baylor University |
| Cotie McMahon | Ohio State University |
| Brooklyn Meyer | South Dakota State University |
| Olivia Miles | University of Notre Dame |
| Emeralda Morales | Montana State University |
| S’Mya Nichols | University of Kansas |
| Aaliyah Nye | University of Alabama |
| Lucy Olsen | University of Iowa |
| Te-Hina Paopao | University of South Carolina |
| Khamil Pierre | Vanderbilt University |
| Sedona Prince | Texas Christian University |
| JJ Quinerly | West Virginia University |
| Kiki Rice | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Saniya Rivers | North Carolina State University |
| Emma Ronsiek | Colorado State University |
| Madison Scott | University of Mississippi |
| Shyanne Sellers | University of Maryland |
| Serena Sundell | Kansas State University |
| Makayla Timpson | Florida State University |
| Allie Turner | Gonzaga University |
| Harmoni Turner | Harvard University |
| Mikaylah Williams | Louisiana State University |
Click here for listings of past WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches’ All-Americans by year and by institution.
About the WBCA
The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women’s and girls’ basketball at all levels of competition. Founded in 1981, the WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of a diverse community of coaches to the organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. Visit WBCA.org for more details about the association.
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