Paige Bueckers (No. 5) of the Dallas Wings made every moment count in her WNBA Rookie of the Year award winning season. (Photo: Dallas Wings Basketball)
ARLINGTON, Texas — Paige Bueckers has already proven she belongs in the WNBA. The Dallas Wings guard, who won the 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year, displayed maturity beyond her age in her debut season, balancing her scoring instincts with leadership qualities that elevated those around her.
Bueckers’ maturity didn’t come out of nowhere. Even before the season tipped off, she had made it clear she wanted to grow into a leadership role. At Dallas Wings Media Day on May 7, 2025, she emphasized that training camp had been both a learning curve and a proving ground.
“Yeah, it’s been fun. Just people that you’re learning to play with, their tendencies what they like to do on the court, what places they like to be, where they like to catch the ball,” Bueckers said. “Just a constant learning process and new offenses, a lot of new terminology and a lot of competition. Training camp is all about fighting for spots and trying to make the team. So there’s been a lot of competition in that way.
“And then, yeah, coming in. I know I’m young and I don’t have the most experience. I don’t have any experience at all in the league. But I want to use my voice, build confidence within the players that I’m playing with. Challenge them, support them. And really, I want to be a leader, even though it is my rookie season, and continue to use my voice and find the best ways to do it while not overstepping. I just want to gain everybody’s respect to the point where they respect my voice. And they know it’s not personal or anything, but we’re all just trying to win playing against defenders in this league.”
Now, as she prepares for her second professional campaign and her debut in the Unrivaled Basketball league in Miami on Jan. 5, 2026, Bueckers stands at the crossroads of promise and opportunity. With her rookie season behind her, those who’ve covered and studied her game believe her ceiling is only beginning to reveal itself.
Brendan Glasheen, play-by-play announcer for the Connecticut Sun, WNBA on ION, and Unrivaled Basketball, saw first-hand how Bueckers transitioned from college to the pros with a seamless command of the game.
“I knew Paige was very skilled. That wasn’t a surprise. But I was curious what it would look like with brand new teammates and a brand new regime,” Glasheen said. “While Dallas is a young team, their mix at the time had some established WNBA veterans. Paige showed excellent command and poise to run a team, like legitimately organize everyone on the floor and put teammates in positions to succeed.
“She picked her spots to ‘take over’ in terms of her scoring. Simply put—her feel for a game and knowing what a game or her team needs on any given night are very impressive. That’s very hard to do in your first year. She got buy-in from her teammates and coaches right away.”
That trust was evident in how the Wings leaned on Bueckers late in games. Glasheen said her composure was one of the defining elements of her rookie campaign.
“I will add that because of her poise, Paige never seemed rattled out there. Maybe it was the arena (haha)!” Glasheen said. “Chemistry is a word that gets tossed around a lot in sports. I’d say her assertiveness to embrace a connector role helped that team handle tough moments over the course of a 40-minute basketball game.”
Her poise carries over to Unrivaled Basketball, the upstart league featuring three-on-three play. Glasheen believes Bueckers’ sharp instincts and versatility make her a natural fit for the faster, read-and-react style.
“Oh my gosh, I think she’s going to thrive,” Glasheen said. “The floor will be very open for her. It’s a read-and-react league because of how fast it is. And I cannot say enough of how sharp of a mind she has to involve her teammates. I also think we might see a more aggressive Paige Bueckers, in the sense that she will hunt her shot more. Honestly because she will have no choice since you only have two teammates on the floor as opposed to four.”
Learning to Fly
If Glasheen sees Bueckers’ game translating seamlessly to Unrivaled, Meghan L. Hall of USA Today’s For The Win sees areas where she can still expand her arsenal in the WNBA.
Paige Bueckers (No. 5). had her best three-point scoring night in the WNBA against the Los Angeles Sparks on Aug. 20, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo: Dallas Wings Basketball)
“I’d love to see bring her 3-ball out more along with her floater,” Hall said. “It would also be good to see what she can add to her footwork in traffic. As a defender, she’s already really good, and I think she’ll just get better with experience.”
Hall stressed that Bueckers’ impact extends far beyond the box score.
“I’m always of the opinion that players aren’t playing solely for themselves. They are playing for the generations behind them,” Hall said. “Storytelling about her and every player is so critical in terms of overall marketing and growth, but also representation. ‘If you can see her, you can be her’ is such an important phrase because it helps people relate to the league’s athletes and shows them what’s possible. Furthermore, the players deserve the exposure and to have their stories told nationally and globally.”
For Hall, five words capture Bueckers’ makeup as both an athlete and role model: “Intentional, grounded, dynamic, cerebral, sponge.”
Melissa Triebwasser of Winsidr echoed those sentiments, pointing to specific areas of growth while noting Bueckers’ star potential.
“I think she will get more opportunities to showcase her range and ability to hit from deep,” Triebwasser said. “I also see her getting physically stronger and continue to focus on playing downhill and attacking the rim, something we saw become an emphasis late. As Chris Koclanes said, the mid-range will always be there for Paige, but she can continue to improve on getting to and finishing at the rim.”
For Triebwasser, the bigger picture matters just as much as the skill set.
“Yeah it’s huge because she has so much appeal and marketability outside of the ‘traditional’ WNBA fan and she’s a dang good player,” Triebwasser said. “She is someone who can be a star in the league and across sports for the next 10-15 years. She’s also such a strong voice and advocate and someone who is constantly looking to elevate voices that are often not given the same spotlight as her. She’s a superstar player and an even better person, and someone the WNBA can use foundationally as the first generation of modern stars begins to age out.”
Asked to describe Bueckers in five words, Triebwasser chose: “Gracious, efficient, entertaining, charismatic, special.”
ShaVonne Herndon, a sports reporter who covered Bueckers’ rookie year, saw qualities in the guard that separated her from peers.
“What set Paige apart from other rookies—and even some seasoned WNBA veterans—was her deep appreciation for the game and the genuine respect she showed to everyone around her,” Herndon said. “She didn’t come in trying to take over the league or make it all about herself, and that humility gained her so much respect from day one. I thought it was rare and refreshing to see a rookie who was so grounded.
“She acknowledged the legacy of those who came before her, treated her teammates and opponents with equal admiration, and carried herself with a quiet confidence that spoke volumes. That kind of attitude doesn’t just earn respect—it builds trust, strengthens locker room chemistry, and sets the tone for long-term leadership. Paige didn’t need to be loud to be heard. Her actions, her poise, and her ability to elevate others made her stand out in a league full of talent.”
Herndon believes Bueckers’ next step will come with rest and recovery.
“She’s only going to get stronger and faster, and the key thing I’m really looking forward to is seeing what she looks like after getting some much-needed rest,” Herndon said. “Paige just wrapped up back-to-back seasons—finishing a grueling college campaign and jumping straight into the WNBA grind without much of a breather. That kind of nonstop schedule takes a toll, even on the most elite athletes.
“Once she has time to recover, reset, and train with a pro-level offseason under her belt, I think we’ll see her elevate every part of her game. Her mid-range shot is already a weapon, and with added strength and explosiveness, she’ll be even tougher to guard off the dribble. Defensively, she’s already sharp, but rest and conditioning will only enhance her lateral quickness and endurance, making her a lockdown presence on both ends. She’s just scratching the surface—and the next version of Paige is going to be scary good.”
Taking Flight
Rey Moralde of The Sporting Tribune analyzed Bueckers through a modern lens, pointing to how her game meshes with today’s analytics-driven strategies.
Paige Bueckers excelled from the midrange in her rookie season with the Dallas Wings. (Photo: Dallas Wings Basketball)
“The W is moving towards more of an analytical game just like the men have in about the last five years or so,” Moralde said. “I expect Paige to maybe cut down on her midrange game a bit and shoot a few more shots behind the arc and at the rim.
“And I think that’s so dangerous because Paige is as good as it gets from three and around the rim. She can already get to her spots but she’ll be even better in the next few years. She only shot 33 percent from three but I do feel the more she shoots from there, the better she’ll get (she shot less in the pros from three than in college). And with her having a lethal mid-range J, she has a hell of a fallback option.”
Moralde also sees her defense as a growing strength.
“Defensively, her anticipation is already great. That’ll definitely get better,” Moralde said. “And as an on-ball defender, she’s a nightmare for opposing guards because of her size. I can also see her getting stronger in order for her to not get pushed around by frontcourt players like Napheesa Collier.”
Off the court, Moralde pointed to her relatability and advocacy.
“I hope Paige gets more of a push in the W,” Moralde said. “A lot of them don’t look at Paige like they do Caitlin as the next ‘great white hope.’ I do love that Paige wants to push black women to the forefront in terms of WNBA (and in general, sports) coverage. People should be listening more to someone like Paige.
“She’s also relatable. Paige is a self-proclaimed iPad kid. She loves her chicken wings. She loves her Fortnite. She has that personality that feels like she’s one of the girls but, at the same time, is inspiring a whole new generation of girls.
“It also helps that she’s decent at the game of basketball.”
For Bueckers herself, her reflections as the season wound down made clear how much she values the bonds forged in Dallas.
“I think we’re all just growing as individuals and as a team,” Bueckers said. “We continue to fight, continue to show up for each other, continue to just show up and be ready for whatever it looks like that night. So the way that we’ve bonded and the way that all this adversity has really brought us closer together and helped us kind of just continue to play with a chip on our shoulder.”
Bueckers pointed to everyday experiences with teammates—whether at the state fair, on flights, or in hotel game rooms—as the foundation for what the Wings are building.
Paige Bueckers and teammate JJ Quinerly, along with Aziaha James, are part of the Dallas Wings’ “Three Studeteers.” (Photo: Mason Munn | The Podium Finish)
“That’s what makes this game so much fun, because you get to do it with people that you love,” she said. “So I know the best teams are the teams that have the best camaraderie and chemistry and truly love each other because you just go to war for each other.”
Wings head coach Chris Koclanes said her leadership set the tone for the team’s long-term vision.
“When your leader is speaking, that’s not just lip service. That’s belief,” Koclanes said. “That’s genuine. That’s authentic. And she pours into her teammates and really believes in everyone in that locker room. There’s just so much upside. To be able to have the maturity, to hold perspective and not feel sorry for ourselves and still maintain a standard with expectations and an accountability piece, that, yes, we’re going to be better and we have to be better. There’s patience there too, knowing that we will be better and we can be better, and we believe in one another.”
That belief is central to Bueckers’ message to Wings fans.
“Like whoever we have in that locker room, whoever puts on a Wings jersey that night, that’s who we’re going to war with,” Bueckers said. “We don’t need exterior belief. Like, in that locker room, we feel like we have enough, and we’re always going to fight and show up that way.
“I remember Steph Curry before the [Golden State] Warriors became the Warriors. Like he tweeted out, ‘Just stick with us. We’re going to figure it out.’ Like, that’s the message.”
As Bueckers transitions into her second professional season and prepares for the bright lights of Unrivaled Basketball, her blend of humility, skill, and determination paints the picture of a player not only ready to lead now, but destined to leave a lasting imprint on the game.
