Paige Bueckers is about to set Dallas on fire. She’s the hometown hero Dallas didn’t know it needed—already getting love from Cowboys’ Micah Parsons and Mavericks’ Anthony Davis. Her $1.4 million in college NIL cash proves she’s a walking headline. But as she steps into the WNBA spotlight, is Paige destined to own the stage, or will an unseen hurdle steal her shine?
Add the team’s veteran superstar Arike Ogunbowale, and you get a deadly backcourt duo. A perfect winning combination. Or is it?
One would say why not. Both players are offensively strong, can create shots for themselves and above all, they are great playmakers too, elevating their team’s scoring abilities. Looking at Paige Bueckers’ performances over the years at the high school and college level, no one can doubt that. For Arike Ogunbowale, the veteran is putting in massive numbers for the Wings repeatedly. So where is the catch?
Analyst Rachael DeMita put forward her concern – a sort of warning about what wings need to avoid to make the partnership work as expected. In her recent YouTube video, while analysing the 2025 WNBA Draft, she broke down how Paige’s journey with the Dallas Wings could be made more fruitful, emphasising how Paige is a ball-dominant player – requires the ball in hand to perform at a high level.
“Paige Beckers is stepping into this Dallas Wings team where I’m not necessarily sure what her role is going to be like yet,” Rachael said. “But I surely hope that Dallas makes sure that she does not become a role player for this Dallas Wings team.”, Paige Bueckers – a role player? Here is how she explains her views.
Starting with the possible starting line-up for the Dallas Wings, DeMita said that there are two other players, alongside Paige, on the court who are ball-dominant. “Arike (Ogunbowale) and Di-Jonai (Carrington) who are players who need to have the ball in their hands, with Arike being one of the most ball-dominant players in the WNBA,” DeMita said in her video. Adding to this, she warned that this would affect their performance on the court, more likely that Paige could become a passive player on the court. No one wants to waste Paige’s talent by keeping her passive, and the Dallas side needs to find a way out of it.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 11: Arike Ogunbowale #24 of the Dallas Wings reacts against the New York Liberty at the Barclays Center on June 11, 2023 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
A very technical and fair point made by DeMita in her analysis. While Paige is explosive offensively (that recent record-setting 40-point game against Oklahoma… OMG) she could be out of the picture completely if kept away from the ball for a longer period. Rachael gave a cheat sheet also, calling out the coaching staff to draw plays, allowing Paige to have some good looks for the shot or allow her to drive to the baskets. A fair and feasible request. But what does Paige or Arike have to say?
Paige Beuckers and Arike Ogunbowale’s draft night fire: Ready to ignite Dallas?
While the video was made way after the draft was done and dusted, Paige and Arike’s reaction says it all. Not directly to the points made by Rachael, but what fans would expect from their partnership. First Arike. The veteran was not in NY to witness the 2025 WNBA draft, but she didn’t miss that either.
Actually, Arike was right there at the Wings’ draft party in Arlington, cheering as Paige’s name was called.
After Paige’s move to the Wings was confirmed, she made her feelings public by sharing a post on ‘X’. She posted “Yessir! It’s time,” With a smiling devil emoji and tagging Paige Bueckers.
Her message was clear, along with Paige, ‘It’s time’ to rock the league. It also shows she is excited to partner with Paige on the court. Arike’s enthusiasm, as a leader who’s carried the Wings since 2019, suggests she’s ready to share the spotlight, which could ease concerns about their fit. While her message was simple yet deep, Paige’s words were clearer and more contradictory than Rachael DeMita’s analysis.
On the draft night, in an interview with NBATV, when Paige was asked about her feelings on pairing with Arike Ogunbowale, she said, “Whole lot of assists. She is a shot creator. I mean I don’t need to do much on the floor, but to be able to get her (an) easier shot, to make the floor more spread, more open. The whole team. I am excited for future.”
Did you listen to those two? Both players are excited to play together, and even Paige, being a team player, is ready to share the ball. In UConn’s recent NCAA Championship run, fans experienced Paige helping and allowing her teammates to get open shots and when needed, taking things into her hands (once again that 40-point game… ooof). Well, fans will be hoping for similar Paige performances, and the Wings are ready to fly high.
The post Dallas Wings Warned of Tough Challenge as National Analyst Explains Paige Bueckers Role Alongside WNBA Veteran appeared first on EssentiallySports.
