If you were to ask even the most casual WNBA fan who this year’s leading Rookie of the Year candidate is, it’s safe to say that Paige Bueckers would top their list. And that’s because the #1 overall draft pick has cemented her status as a household name from the start of her collegiate career at the University of Connecticut, which culminated in a long-awaited national title last season, all the way through her stellar play this season for the Dallas Wings.

But even with her phenomenal play and unquestioned star power coming into the WNBA, and with the league’s ratings ascending thanks to Caitlin Clark and other new stars, Bueckers is getting far less media attention than her play deserves.

So what makes Paige Bueckers’ rookie season so exceptional?

Paige Bueckers hasn’t skipped a beat since transitioning to the pros, and she’s only strengthened her Rookie of the Year campaign with a stunning 44-point performance last week in a loss against the Los Angeles Sparks. Not only did Bueckers account for 55% of Dallas’s offense, but she broke Candace Parker’s rookie scoring record that has stood since 2008, previously held by Cynthia Cooper in the league’s inaugural year when all players were considered “first year.” She also became the first player in WNBA history to score over 40 points with an 80% FG%, and pulled off the league’s highest scoring game of the season.

But if you tuned into SportsCenter the next day, you might have missed the news. It was a detail that rapper and former D1 wide receiver Plies took note of.

Dear @Espn Paige Buecker Goes Off For 44pts 17-21 (From The Field) & Y’all Don’t Open Up The Show With Her Performance?? Y’all Have Done It Before For #1 Picks With Lesser Production!!!! 🤷🏾‍♂️

— Plies (@plies) August 21, 2025

Plies has a point, especially considering that last season, ESPN devoted an entire week’s worth of coverage to a hard foul on Caitlin Clark. But Bueckers’ performance was a footnote on ESPN’s morning shows, with a quick highlight package before moving on to preseason NFL talk.

But Bueckers is giving sports media plenty to talk about this season, even apart from her 44-point game, averaging 18.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 5.4 assists in her rookie year with a struggling Wings squad–all just shy of or exceeding her senior year averages in a vastly more competitive league.

Not only that, but having secured big-name sponsorship deals with brands like Nike, Coach, and Bose, Bueckers’ presence off the court is also felt on a cultural level. And this started at UConn when she was named the first freshman to earn the Naismith Player of the Year award and ended her career with a national championship and a $1.5 million NIL valuation–good for third overall among female college athletes behind LSU’s Livvy Dunne and Flau’jae Johnson.

She’s got all the makings of a star–including an electric on-the-court persona that is comparable to WNBA legend, Diana Taurasi. 

This minute of Paige Bueckers was golden.

Mid range, block, step back 3 – Kyrie approves. pic.twitter.com/ItpkmXPVi5

— Darren Barker (@djbdarren) June 28, 2025

Why are other WNBA stars being ignored?

But it’s not just Bueckers who is being ignored in the WNBA. Angel Reese is quietly having one of the best overall seasons in the league, averaging a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double, breaking the WNBA record for most double-doubles in a player’s first two seasons, and she’s leading the W in rebounding over A’ja Wilson despite missing games due to injuries.

Kelsey Mitchell is willing the Indiana Fever to the playoffs with an MVP-esque season. The Golden State Valkyries are in playoff contention in the expansion team’s inaugural year, and the Las Vegas Aces just punched their playoff ticket on the back of a WNBA-leading 11-game win streak after hovering around .500 for the first half of the season. The Lynx and Liberty are becoming a legit rivalry after their playoff faceoff last season and Minnesota’s dominating season so far. And this isn’t even getting into season-altering injuries and shocking midseason trades.

So what gives? After sports media proved it could provide adequate airtime to women’s hoops last year, fans expected more this season. And unfortunately, women’s basketball fans have been considerably let down, even though they, too, have been showing out.

How much has fan support increased in the WNBA compared to last season?

In 2025, fans helped set a single-season WNBA attendance record, with over 2.5 million fans attending games league-wide in August, surpassing the previous record of 2.3 million in 2002 (with more teams and games in the league, mind you). Average attendance is up 48% from last year, and the league is poised to surpass 3 million fans in attendance by the season’s end. The Valkyries sold out their season tickets before the season even began, and in their first year, they are the WNBA’s most valuable team, valued at $500 million, with an average attendance of 18,000 fans per game. WNBA games are also averaging nearly 800,000 viewers per game, up 21% from last season. 

The numbers don’t lie: the WNBA is booming even with stars like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Napheesa Collier, and Breanna Stewart sidelined for significant portions of the season. And yet, even with a layup of a story in Paige Bueckers starring as a rookie just a year after Caitlin Clark took the world by storm, sports media is dropping the ball.

The sports industry is becoming infamous for treating women’s basketball (and women’s sports as a whole) with reluctant acceptance, rather than as a legitimate business venture. This season, sports media giants are once again demonstrating that they have no idea what to do with the WNBA and the numbers that come with it. And the industry will suffer for it unless it evolves with the market and steps up its game. 

Brands see the value of women’s sports and choose to invest. Fans offer their loyalty and consumer habits. The world is paying attention to women’s sports. What will it take for sports media to do the same?