Paige Bueckers, sporting her UConn-era braids, has thrived in her USA Basketball training camp and workouts ahead of her sophomore year with the Dallas Wings. (Photo: USA Basketball)
PHOENIX — The braids are back, the smile is as infectious as ever, and the competitive fire that defined a generation of Connecticut basketball is now being forged in the dry heat of the desert.
Inside the Mountain America Performance Center, the air is thick with the sounds of elite basketball: the rhythmic squeak of sneakers on hardwood, the sharp whistle of coaches, and the unmistakable chatter of the world’s best players. Amidst the stars gathered for the USA Basketball Women’s National Team training camp, one figure draws the eye and the microphones like no other.
Paige Bueckers is no longer the “kid” from Hopkins, Minnesota, nor is she just the focal point of the Storrs universe. At 24 years old, she is a bridge, a veteran of a grueling WNBA rookie season, a standout in Unrivaled Basketball and a battle-tested floor general in FIBA international play.
The ‘Dallas’ Play and the Geno Rebuttal
Paige Bueckers brings a defensive intensity to the Mountain America Performance Center as she prepares for the rigors of Year 2 in the WNBA. (Photo: USA Basketball)
Before the conversation turned to the heavy lifting of leadership and the tactical nuances of the professional game, there was some “Huskies business” to attend to.
UConn head coach Geno Auriemma, never one to let a former player off the hook, recently claimed on social media that he devised a specific play for the Huskies aptly named “Dallas.” According to Auriemma, it’s a play Bueckers “still can’t guard.”
When asked for her official rebuttal in Phoenix, Bueckers couldn’t help but lean into the playful rivalry that has defined her relationship with her college coach.
“I actually haven’t seen him running [it] in the game, but that is what he’s so-called said in his little Instagram video, that that was his play,” Bueckers said with a grin. “But honestly, if I’m gonna be honest, when I’m a practice player, I’m really only focused on offense. Like, I’m not really worried about defense for real. So whatever play he wanted to run, he probably could execute it.”
It was a classic “Paige” moment—deflecting the jab with a mix of self-deprecating humor and a reminder that when she’s on the floor, her primary focus is orchestrating the attack.
The Evolution of a Leader
Entering her second season with the Dallas Wings, Paige Bueckers is focused on using her voice and “battle-tested” experiences to lead in the locker room. (Photo: USA Basketball)
While the jokes about UConn practice plays keep the mood light, the reality of Bueckers’ trajectory is far more serious. She is entering Year 2 with the Dallas Wings, a franchise that has leaned heavily into her playmaking and marketability.
The transition from college superstar to professional leader isn’t just about scoring more points; it’s about the “battle-tested” experiences gathered over the last twelve months. From the physical toll of a full WNBA season to the fast-paced, high-IQ environment of Unrivaled, Bueckers has been forced to adapt.
“I think just every experience as a pro, you grow and you learn a lot,” Bueckers noted. “The WNBA is different than Unrivaled. Unrivaled is different than FIBA. So to be able to gain those experiences, learn a lot, be around different people, be around different coaches, just be a sponge, and then just grow my relationships with people. I think it will help me a lot.”
For the Wings, having a “sponge” who can absorb the wisdom of Olympic veterans at a USAB camp and then translate that into the Dallas locker room is invaluable. Bueckers is finding that her voice carries more weight now that she has seen the “ringer”—the highs of victory and the lows of the professional grind.
The Connecticut Connection and the Houston Move
Despite the “FOMO” of being an alum during the Final Four, Paige Bueckers is channeling that energy into her growth on the international stage. (Photo: USA Basketball)
Even in Phoenix, the shadow of Connecticut basketball looms large. With the Final Four taking place, Bueckers admitted to a bit of “FOMO” as she watches her former teammates and coach navigate the pressure of the tournament.
“It’s my first Final Four as an alum, so I’m seeing how the vibes go,” she said, touching her hair. “I wanted to bring [the braids] back. I have like severe FOMO here, just getting a little taste of what it used to be.”
That connection to Connecticut extends beyond the university. With the recent news of the Connecticut Sun‘s relocation to Houston, a city with its own rich WNBA history via the Comets, Bueckers shared a balanced perspective on the league’s shifting landscape.
“I mean, obviously I’m like Connecticut down, so to see the team leave… obviously, I know the Connecticut fans will miss them,” she said. “I heard KD (Kevin Durant) say that they have the UConn basketball team, but the more the merrier in Connecticut. Everybody loves basketball there. But obviously, I’m excited for Houston and excited for what that city is going to bring. I know they have a huge history there, and so to be able to bring a team back is pretty huge.”
Pressure is a Privilege
As the senior class at UConn, including stars like Azzi Fudd, prepares for the “win or go home” reality of the tournament, Bueckers offered a veteran’s perspective on handling the weight of expectation. It’s a philosophy she’s carrying into her sophomore season in the WNBA.
“I think to really just embrace it. Pressure is a privilege,” Bueckers said, echoing the famous Billie Jean King mantra. “To be able to play at UConn, even as a freshman, it’s like National Championship or bust. So it’s not anything that we’re not used to.”
Her advice for those facing the end of their collegiate careers was simple: stay in the moment.
“In a sense, just play the possession. It’s so easy to get caught up and try to win the national championship off of the first game. But you can only win the national championship if you win the first one, and you can only do that by playing the possessions. So every possession is a game. You can coach it. You can get better from it, learn from it. So to just stay present, not get too ahead of yourself, but just to be right where your feet are.”
A New Era in Dallas
For Paige Bueckers, pressure is a privilege as she moves toward the top of the basketball world. (Photo: USA Basketball)
As the camp in Phoenix winds down, the focus shifts back to the WNBA season. For Dallas fans, the sight of a confident, healthy, and vocal Paige Bueckers is the best possible omen.
She is no longer just “Paige Bucket,” the flashy guard with the highlight reels. She is a woman who understands that leadership is built in the possessions—in the small moments of growth between the FIBA qualifiers and the pro practices.
Whether she’s defending a play called “Dallas” or leading a team in the city of the same name, Paige Bueckers is right where her feet are. And right now, those feet are moving toward the top of the basketball world.
Editor’s Note
The Podium Finish staff writer Aya Abdeen contributed to this report onsite from the Mountain America Performance Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Special thanks to Madeline Kenney of The New York Post for her professional courtesy and assistance with the media availability transcript.
