Paige Bueckers’ potential future teammate ranked #2 player in the nation originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Dallas Wings‘ future is all about Paige Bueckers — and who the organization can put around the Rookie of the Year to ensure her future growth and success.
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After hiring longtime South Florida head coach Jose Fernandez to succeed Chris Koclanes on the sideline, the Wings have roster decisions to make as they seek to move past a tough 10-34 season in 2025. Dallas will be busy in free agency, but general manager Curt Miller has emphasized drafting and developing as the most sustainable way to build a contender around Bueckers.
The 2025/26 NCAA basketball season is right around the corner, and ESPN has ranked its top 25 women’s college basketball players entering the new campaign. Connecticut forward Sarah Strong, a sophomore who is ineligible for the WNBA Draft, has been ranked as the top player on the college circuit at present.
But right behind Bueckers’ former teammate Strong is UCLA center Lauren Betts, who has been mentioned as Bueckers’ possible future teammate in Dallas.
Bruins star Betts has lottery potential
Betts, entering her senior season in Los Angeles, has been widely tipped to be one of the first players off the board in the 2026 WNBA Draft. Though the draft order is not yet known — the league will hold a lottery in November or December, depending on the state of collective bargaining negotiations — the Wings have the best odds to land the #1 pick, and the best shot at Betts if she puts together a stellar senior year with the Bruins.
The 6’7” Betts led UCLA’s women’s team to its first-ever #1 ranking and its first-ever Final Four appearance last season, where they lost to Bueckers and UConn. As a junior, Betts averaged 20.2 points and a Big Ten-best 2.9 blocks per game; she is the only player in program history to score at least 600 points, haul in 300 rebounds and block 100 shots in a single season.
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Betts is aiming to scale even greater heights before she says goodbye to college basketball, taking more school records and possibly a championship with her to the WNBA. There, she may be in position to team up with Bueckers and create a formidable duo that opens up a title window for long-suffering Dallas.
