What’s happened lately might seem as casual as flipping pancakes on a lazy Sunday morning. But for fans? This isn’t what they expected on the menu at all. Fresh off a national championship, Paige Bueckers was expected to impact the WNBA immediately, with hype levels rivaling Caitlin Clark’s Indiana debut. The comparisons came fast, and so did the expectations. So much so that, without playing a single regular-season minute, Bueckers snagged 73% of Rookie of the Year votes from WNBA general managers. But just nine games into the season, opinions have flipped mid-air.
The outrage came after ESPN dropped its panel voting for six major WNBA awards, including Rookie of the Year. Out of the six categories, only two had a unanimous agreement among the four writers. While the MVP nod to Napheesa Collier seemed justified given her incredible form lately, it was the unanimous ROTY vote for Kiki Iriafen that raised some serious eyebrows.
All four ESPN writers, Kevin Pelton, André Snellings, Alexa Philippou, and Michael Voepel, voted for Iriafen, citing her performance over the past month. “The No. 4 pick in April’s draft has started fast as a pro, shooting a higher percentage (51%) than she did as a senior at USC (50%),” read the article. And statistically, Kiki’s case looks solid. She’s leading the league in shots made and attempted in the restricted area, won Rookie of the Month for May, and is averaging a near double-double with 14.9 points and 9.9 rebounds per game.
But, these are the same people who nominated Bueckers for the same award just 24 days ago! And here’s where it gets interesting: when you dig deeper into the numbers, the argument for Bueckers becomes even stronger. Despite missing time due to concussion protocol, Paige is projected to become the fastest player in the league to hit 200+ points, 75+ assists, and 75+ rebounds—all in a limited number of games.
And while her team’s record isn’t helping her cause (sitting near the bottom at 1–9), Bueckers is clearly leading the pack among rookies when it comes to impact and versatility. So, of course, fans had something to say about the ROTY snub.
Fans are up in arms over ESPN’s rankings!
Just a couple of minutes after ESPN released their voting, fans dove into the comment section to voice their frustration with the rankings. “It’s the language used in the article. Saying that Soni ‘has been’ ahead of her and that she ‘might make a push’ is nothing other than disingenuous. We’re talking about PAIGE BUECKERS,” penned one spectator on X.
Well, this fan’s frustration is centered around a section ESPN had added later in the article. It’s under the subhead “Top Challengers to Iriafen,” wherein they’ve listed Kiki’s teammate Sonia Citron and Dallas Wings’ Paige Bueckers. And maybe, just maybe, fans would have let this go had it not been for Pelton’s “might” and how he included Bueckers as if he were offering her a consolation prize.
May 19, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) in action during the game between the Dallas Wings and the Seattle Storm at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Well, first, Pelton wrote, “Iriafen’s toughest competition has been her teammate,” and after that, came the sentence with a ‘meh’ vibe: “No. 1 pick Bueckers might make a push for the award once she’s back in the lineup after missing three games”. Honestly, it is not just in the words, but the hierarchy and placement as well.
Once you say that Citron is a true competitor, you cannot say that Bueckers might make a push when she is already ahead of the top three rookies being considered for the award, as one fan highlighted, “I love that ‘Kiki Iriafen is leading the ROTY race’ and ‘Paige Bueckers is doing something only two other players have done’ are lines in the exact same article”.
According to ESPN, only Caitlin Clark and Skylar Diggins had previously averaged more than 10 points and 6 assists as rookies. Yet, Bueckers had already surpassed both benchmarks, averaging 14.7 points and 6.7 assists per game before her injury. “This ESPN agenda is just weird. Keep doubting Paige like y’all doubted UConn though…” another user chimed in.
Yes, this isn’t the first time Bueckers has been on the receiving end of skepticism. Back in college, UConn wasn’t considered a top contender for the national title, especially against heavyweights like USC, Notre Dame, LSU, and South Carolina. But UConn beat them all, and Bueckers ended her collegiate career with a national championship.“And one thing about Paige Bueckers—she always lives up to expectations,” one fan summed it up perfectly.
Now that she’s being doubted again, fans are expecting her to make a similar impact in the WNBA and surge ahead in the race for Rookie of the Year. And honestly, it’s possible. Why? She is already ranking third in assists per game at 6 APG. The only players ahead of her when it comes to rookie assists records? Caitlin Clark and Ticha Penicheiro. And it doesn’t stop there. Bueckers also ranks 16th in steals per game with 2 SPG.
And while Kiki Iriafen has her name in the rookie FG records at 12th and rebounds records at 6th, Sonia Citron’s name is nowhere to be seen in the WNBA Rookie Records and Leaders. So, Pelton could have used better words, apparently. What do we do now, though? As one user put it best: “Have to wait till she start back playing first!”
And if her track record tells us anything, she’s used to this. When she tore her ACL and missed significant time at UConn, she came back stronger, finishing her college career by topping the program’s records in scoring average (19.9 PPG) and total points (2,439). So, can we expect something similar now? If history repeats itself, the answer is a loud yes.
The post Calls Mount Against ESPN’s Agenda After Latest Paige Bueckers Stats Make A Mockery Of Rookie Of The Year Snub appeared first on EssentiallySports.
