On September 16, news broke that Dallas Wings star guard Paige Bueckers won the 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year award. She received 70 of a potential 72 votes for the award, with the other two going to Washington Mystics standout Sonia Citron.
There’s no doubt that Bueckers is deserving of this honor. While the Wings had another brutal season in 2025, it wasn’t because of the former UConn Huskies star, who finished her first WNBA campaign averaging 19.2 points, 5.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 47.7% from the field.
The league was always going to announce the Rookie of the Year award on Tuesday, given that these awards are revealed based on a schedule. However, they might had to expedite matters somewhat, given that photos of Bueckers holding the WNBA Rookie of the Year trophy on The Jennifer Hudson Show were leaked on social media early Tuesday morning, which took some surprise out of the official announcement for some fans.
— jo (@thearkvi) September 16, 2025
Yet, that doesn’t mean Bueckers wasn’t surprised when she received the trophy. And she certainly was surprised by the means in which she received it.
Cathy Engelbert Surprises Paige Bueckers With WNBA Rookie of the Year Trophy
In addition to being a great program, one reason why The Jennifer Hudson Show is so beloved is owed to its iconic “Spirit Tunnel”. Before each guest goes on the show, the entire staff and production team will greet them in a hallway and sing them a song, which is a way to hype them up and build confidence before going on screen.
Many instances of this Spirit Tunnel have gone viral, given that the celebrity guests have wholesome and excited reacions.
Bueckers received the “Spirit Tunnel” treatment on Tuesday. But hers was interrupted by WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, who showed up midway through holding the Rookie of the Year Award trophy.Sep 11, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) looks on during the second half against the Phoenix Mercury at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
“Bet I’m the last person you thought you’d see on this cool spirit tunnel. But I’m here to present you with the 2025 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year Award. Congratulations!” Engelbert said to Bueckers before handing her the trophy.
From there, the Spirit Tunnel broke out into a “Rookie of the Year” song while Bueckers was looking at her new trophy and smiling from ear to ear.
The Jennifer Judson Show’s X post of this Spirit Tunnel surprise has gone viral, with it amassing over 370,000 views in about an hour.
Paige Bueckers did not expect THIS at the end of her tunnel! 👀 @WNBA @DallasWings pic.twitter.com/wyJ8RsJdl8— The Jennifer Hudson Show (@JHudShow) September 16, 2025
Props to Engelbert and The Jennifer Hudson Show for making this award-winning moment memorable.
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