Paige Bueckers Wins 2026 WNBA Community Leadership Award

The WNBA announced Thursday that Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers has been named the recipient of the 2026 Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award.

It is the second season of her professional career.

The award was established in 2008 and is named after Hall of Fame player and current South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley.

It recognizes a WNBA player who demonstrates a spirit of leadership, love for the game, charitable efforts and inspiration.

Bueckers was selected for the honor by a committee of WNBA and NBA leadership members.

According to the league, the award is given to the player who best represents the values Staley brought to the game and to her community.

Bueckers was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft out of UConn.

In her sophomore season with the Wings, she averaged 20.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.0 steal per game.

She shot 31 percent from three-point range across 42 games.

Her play helped lead the Wings to the WNBA playoffs, where they were eliminated by the eventual champion Golden State Valkyries.

But the award is not for anything she did on the court.

The WNBA cited Bueckers’ commitment to expanding access to sports, education and essential resources for young people and families.

Bueckers has focused her community work in two main areas: her home state of Minnesota and her current team’s home in North Texas.

In Minnesota, she partnered with Goodr to fund a free grocery store at Hopkins West Junior High School in her hometown of Hopkins.

She also made a $50,000 donation to the Hopkins Education Foundation.

Another $25,000 went to Athletic Committed Enlightened Scholars, a program that supports student-athletes.

In August, she teamed with Gatorade to refurbish a basketball court in St. Louis Park, Minnesota.

The court renovation was part of her broader effort to create safe spaces for young athletes.

In North Texas, Bueckers participated in the Wings’ annual Unified Game with Special Olympics of North Texas.

She also mentored 12 players on the Dallas Wings Dream Team, a program that develops young talent.

She supported the Dallas Wings Community Foundation’s fundraising efforts.

She took part in the team’s Kicks for a Cause celebration.

Bueckers has also hosted free basketball camps for girls in multiple cities.

As part of the award, the WNBA will make a $10,000 donation to Good Sports, a nonprofit selected by Bueckers.

Good Sports provides athletic equipment and apparel to children in high-need communities.

Bueckers spoke about the honor in a statement released by the WNBA.

“With every partnership I take on, it’s really important to me to include a charity or community engagement component,” Bueckers said.

“I’ve been fortunate to have so many people and communities invest in me throughout my life, and I want to pay that forward by using my platform to create opportunities for the next generation.”

She added: “Whether that’s through sports, education, food security or mentorship, I want to make sure people have access to opportunities they might not otherwise have.”

“Sports have given me so much, and I think they can be such a powerful way to bring people together, build community and create opportunity.”

Dawn Staley also released a statement about Bueckers receiving the award.

“Paige Bueckers embodies the spirit of what this award, established in my name, represents,” Staley said.

“Through her leadership, compassion, and commitment to service, Paige uses her platform to uplift communities and inspire the next generation.”

“I’m proud to honor her for making a difference that reaches far beyond basketball.”

Bueckers has been a two-time WNBA All-Star in her first two seasons.

She has drawn comparisons to Staley for her playmaking ability and her leadership style.

The award is the latest in a growing list of honors for Bueckers, but it is the first focused entirely on her off-court work.

It places her alongside previous winners who have used their platform for social impact.

Bueckers said the recognition is a reflection of work that has continued well beyond the basketball season.

The WNBA has not announced whether there will be a formal ceremony for the award.

But the league’s $10,000 donation to Good Sports will go to a cause Bueckers personally supports.

Good Sports works with community organizations to provide equipment and apparel to kids who otherwise might not have access.

Bueckers has made food security a central part of her community efforts.

The free grocery store in Hopkins is one example of that focus.

She has also supported programs that address education inequality.

Her donations to the Hopkins Education Foundation and Athletic Committed Enlightened Scholars reflect that priority.

Bueckers has said she wants to use her platform to create opportunities for the next generation.

She has repeatedly emphasized that sports can be a vehicle for broader social change.

The award recognizes that belief in action.

For a player who entered the league with immense expectations, the honor shows a different kind of impact.