Paige Bueckers may have been the No. 1 overall pick at the 2025 WNBA Draft, but it was her near-miss fashion moment that had fans holding their breath right alongside her.
The UConn superstar, fresh off a national championship win and widely expected to top the draft board, walked the orange carpet at The Shed in New York City like a seasoned pro-until her custom Coach jacket decided to steal the show.
Decked out in a dazzling mocha brown crystal-encrusted suit said to feature over 200,000 transparent rhinestones, Bueckers oozed confidence and style. But the real drama came when she stepped onto the stage to shake WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s hand.
Social media rallied around Paige
Gripping her jacket with one hand to keep it in place, Bueckers expertly avoided what could’ve been a headline-grabbing wardrobe malfunction. Social media, of course, noticed immediately.
“Paige holding onto that jacket real tight,” one fan posted. Another chimed in, “They should’ve gotten her double-sided tape because she’s holding the jacket making sure it doesn’t show anything.”
Even ESPN’s Holly Rowe got caught up in the moment, commenting that Bueckers was placing her hand over her heart-only for fans to quickly correct her. “She’s not feeling emotional,” one tweet read. “She’s making sure her jacket doesn’t fly open on national TV!”
A dream come true for Bueckers
Despite the brief fashion crisis, Bueckers remained composed and grateful during her pre-draft interview. “Probably ever since I was five,” she said when asked how long she’d dreamed of making it to the WNBA. “Just the reason I played the game… I had big dreams.”
The Dallas Wings made it official Monday night, selecting the three-time Big East Player of the Year as the first overall pick. And while Bueckers heads to Dallas as a future franchise cornerstone, fans will also remember the night she nearly went viral for more than just her game.
“Congrats to Paige! We’ll miss her so much,” one UConn fan wrote. “Beautiful moment-(BTW, sorry about the dress or jacket or whatever).”
Read the full article here
