Lol
1) has any player gone pro before finishing her junior year? I recall VAs Schuye Larue going to Europe. And a Rutgers player — maybe E Prince? Point is it almost never happens. And the most obvious person who could’ve gone after her frosh year — Stewie — stayed for 4.
2) Paige made a big deal of wanting to play with Azzi. Now she is gonna be here and PB Is gonna leave after 0 or 1 years together?
3) Paige still has a lot to learn from Geno.
4) do you want to make money now or do yo want to be a historic great with a Bird/Taurasi type career? I suspect Paige is playing the long game.
5) with the exception of Diana, most UConn players are pretty academically inclined. Lack of interest in school is one reason players leave early.
6) kids from poorer families might feel more pressure to earn $ sooner. Seems like the Bueckers are pretty middle class and there wouldn’t be that kind of concern
she’ll be eligible for the W after her junior year and leaving then is plausible, but before then? I put it at <5%.
Probably <1%
I was talking Europe, not the W. The salaries in the WNBA, even with the new CBA, are probably not worth anyone leaving school early. But Europe pays very good money, and it's virtually certain that a Paige would get a contract in the hundreds of thousands.
Times change. It used to be unthinkable for college men to leave early. Until it wasn't. Now no top male players remain in college past a year, or two years at most.
Has to be thinking of it.