Paige Bueckers is No. 1 pick in WNBA draft, going to the Dallas Wings

NEW YORK (AP) — Paige Bueckers is ready for her next chapter after a whirlwind week that started with her helping UConn win its 12th national championship and ended with her becoming the WNBA's No. 1 draft pick by the Dallas Wings.

“I’m just extremely excited to be there. I’ve only heard great things about the city," Bueckers said of Dallas. “So excited to start that new chapter and be in a new city and explore that and give everything I have to the Wings organization. I know we’re going to do great things, and it’s a fresh start, and I think we’re all ready to do something special.”

The versatile UConn star is the latest Huskies standout to go No. 1, joining former greats Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Tina Charles, Maya Moore and Breanna Stewart.

Bueckers has had a busy time since helping UConn win the title on April 6. She has split her time between New York and Connecticut doing morning and nighttime talk shows. On Sunday, she took part in the Huskies' championship parade.

“I’m glad New York and Storrs are pretty close to each other because there’s been a lot of back and forth,” Bueckers said. “Part of me wants to stay at school, celebrate with the team, be with them, enjoy the last moments of being in Storrs, and the other part of me has to get ready for the next chapter.”

Bueckers got to enjoy the moment Monday night with her UConn teammates and coach Geno Auriemma who were in the audience at the draft, which was held at The Shed in New York. Bueckers choked up when talking about her former Huskies teammates.

“They mean everything to me. They helped me get through highs and lows,” Bueckers said.

Seattle followed Dallas' selection by taking 19-year-old French star Dominique Malonga with the No. 2 pick. The 6-foot-6 Malonga was part of the silver medal winning French Olympic basketball team. She's the first French player to be drafted this high since 1997, when Isabelle Fijalkowski went second.

“I was so proud to achieve that goal,” Malonga said. “It showed that French basketball has evolved as we’ve seen the past few years on the NBA side. We see Wemby (Victor Wembanyama) and Zaccharie (Risacher) show that French basketball is great.”

The Washington Mystics, with a new coach and general manager, then took Notre Dame's Sonia Citron with the third pick, and Southern Cal's Kiki Iriafen with No. 4. They also took Kentucky guard Georgia Amoore with the sixth pick. Amoore was dressed on the WNBA's orange carpet by NBA star Russell Westbrook, who has a clothing brand called Honor The Gift. Amoore said Westbrook designed her outfit and was amazing to work with since they first got together on a Zoom session last November.

“It’s phenomenal. He did such a good job,” Amoore said of Westbrook. “It wasn’t just to put his name on something. He spent hours at the hotel fitting it ... He’s been very active in the process. To have a contact like that now, someone I can lean on or into is amazing. It’s the start. You’ll see this happen more often. It’s a blessing to be the first one to do this.”

The expansion Golden State Valkyries made Juste Jocyte of Lithuania with the first draft choice in franchise history.

Connecticut had consecutive picks and took LSU's Aneesah Morrow seventh and N.C. State's Saniya Rivers eighth.

Los Angeles took Alabama's Sarah Ashlee Barker ninth. Chicago drafted Ajsa Sivka from Slovenia 10th, and then TCU's Hailey Van Lith next.

Dallas closed out the first round drafting Aziah James of N.C. State.

Six teams didn’t have picks in the opening round as New York, Indiana, Minnesota, Phoenix and Atlanta traded away their picks. Las Vegas forfeited its pick following an investigation by the league in 2023 that found the franchise violated league rules regarding impermissible player benefits and workplace policies.

AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

UConn's Paige Bueckers, right, embraces WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected first overall by the Dallas Wings during the first round of the WNBA basketball draft, Monday, April 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Alabama's Sarah Ashlee Barker, left, poses for a photo with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected ninth overall by the Los Angeles Sparks during the first round of the WNBA basketball draft, Monday, April 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

TCU's Hailey Van Lith, right, poses for a photo with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected 11th overall by the Chicago Sky during the first round of the WNBA basketball draft, Monday, April 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Ajsa Sivka, left, poses for a photo with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected 10th overall by the Chicago Sky during the first round of the WNBA basketball draft, Monday, April 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Alabama's Sarah Ashlee Barker, left, poses for a photo with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected ninth overall by the Los Angeles Sparks during the first round of the WNBA basketball draft, Monday, April 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

North Carolina State's Saniya Rivers, right, poses with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected eighth overall by the Connecticut Sun during the first round of the WNBA basketball draft, Monday, April 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

LSU's Aneesah Morrow, left, poses with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected seventh overall by the Connecticut Sun during the first round of the WNBA basketball draft, Monday, April 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Kentucky's Georgia Amoore, left, poses for a photo with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected sixth overall by the Washington Mystics during the first round of the WNBA basketball draft, Monday, April 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Southern California's Kiki Iriafen, right, poses with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected fourth overall by the Washington Mystics during the first round of the WNBA basketball draft, Monday, April 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Notre Dame's Sonia Citron, left, poses with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected third overall by the Washington Mystics during the first round of the WNBA basketball draft, Monday, April 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Dominique Malonga, left, poses with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected second overall by the Seattle Storm during the first round of the WNBA basketball draft, Monday, April 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

UConn's Paige Bueckers, right, embraces WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected first overall by the Dallas Wings during the first round of the WNBA basketball draft, Monday, April 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

UConn's Paige Bueckers reacts after being selected first overall by the Dallas Wings during the first round of the WNBA basketball draft, Monday, April 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

UConn's Paige Bueckers, right, poses for a photo with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected first overall by the Dallas Wings during the first round of the WNBA basketball draft, Monday, April 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

UConn's Paige Bueckers poses before the WNBA basketball draft, Monday, April 14, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

FILE - France's Dominique Malonga, right, shoots as Nigeria's Amy Elizabeth Balogun defends in a women's basketball game at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Aug. 1, 2024, in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, Pool File)

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)