Paige Bueckers feared major wardrobe malfunction at worst time in WNBA Draft

Paige Bueckers, the former UConn star and No. 1 overall pick by the Dallas Wings in the 2025 WNBA Draft, has revealed the real reason behind her hand-on-heart gesture during the event. The 23-year-old was seen repeatedly placing her hand on her chest throughout the night, leading some to speculate that she was making a heartfelt gesture. However, speaking to , Bueckers clarified that it was actually an attempt to avoid a potential wardrobe malfunction.

"I didn't feel as trusting in the tape as when the night first started, Bueckers said, in reference to the adhesive holding her Louis Vuitton blazer in place. Throughout the night, adhesive slowly lost its properties, which led her to add: "I didn't want a wardrobe malfunction, that's for sure."

To prevent any embarrassing incidents, fresh tape was provided to keep her blazer in place.

ESPN's Holly Rowe initially thought Bueckers was simply expressing gratitude for being in the WNBA when she touched her heart. However, Bueckers revealed the true meaning behind the gesture, saying: "Through my faith, through God's purpose, through my teammates, my family, the coaching staff, the strength and conditioning staff, everybody's invested a lot in me.

"And part of me wanting to give back to them and show that I can be better and all that their hard work helped me get to this stage. So I didn't do it alone. It took a village. So I'm extremely grateful for them."

Interestingly, UConn head coach Geno Auriemma initially doubted Bueckers' potential, telling TIME: "I just thought, 'Man, she's so frail,'" he said. "She's having trouble breathing. I'm like, 'What's the big deal about this kid?'".

However, Auriemma soon changed his mind, praising Bueckers' confidence: "There isn't a shot she doesn't think she can make. There's not an opinion she doesn't think she can have. This kid's just a walking definition of confidence."

Auriemma recalled telling Bueckers: "You know, you're torturing me."

He humorously noted that he often found himself saying something unusual to her: "Let me give you some words that would never come out of a men's basketball coach's mouth to any of their players. Never uttered. 'Yo, dude, you gotta shoot more'."

This article first appeared on .