Paige Bueckers might be most familiar with the winter weather of Minnesota, but she is wasting no time making Texas her very own territory. And she did not just come here to take over basketball, instead, she is basking in every aspect of its culture. “I’m really excited — and also (for) the boots, the cowboy hats, the country music, just investing all of ourselves into Dallas,” she said when she was finally gifted her Stetson cowboy hat. And yet, after her season opener against the Lynx, everyone had just one thing to say–welcome to the WNBA. And you guessed it, purely sarcastically.
And while she showed flashes of what makes her brilliant, there were only flashes. She drove to the lane, missed her first shot, grabbed her own rebound, and immediately scored a basket. But the little nudges here and there were hard to miss, which everyone called just “Love Taps,” compared to what she is about to see in terms of physicality in the league. But then came the second game, and she had suddenly improved quite a lot. Her 19 points, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds weren’t enough for the team to claim victory, but the flashes? They turned into legit, consistent sparks. She sparked hope regarding not just her individual future, but the team’s future as a whole. So, of course, everyone is now placing their bets on her.
Pondering over the ROTY predictions for this season, former student-athlete at The University of Vermont, Emma Utterback, joined Julia Adams on the Overtime podcast. The official Overtime account shared the reel on social media earlier today with a caption that read, “PAIGE FOR ROOKIE OF THE YEAR. LOCK IT IN.”
On being asked whether Bueckers is projecting traits that can win her the title, Utterback was quick to respond with, “The difference that she is making in Dallas right now is crazy for a rookie. When I was out, watching the fans pile in, every single jersey had Bueckers on the back. Number 5- thats all I could see. Bueckers, Bueckers, Bueckers.”
Well, true. In 2024, the Dallas Wings sold out nine games throughout the season, and as of now, just in the beginning, they have already sold out two. Furthermore, Dallas Wings CEO Greg Bibb said that the franchise “has sold merchandise in all 50 states and 23 different countries since drafting Bueckers last month,” adding that they have further “earned more revenue from individual ticket sales in the last month than the organization did all of last season, which was a record year for Dallas.” See the effect?
Making another case for why Bueckers will be taking the award home, Utterback shared, “You see the huddles, you see Paige gathering them together. She’s pointing- you can tell that she’s directing people. They’re going to be very very good. And I think once Paige just gets a couple more games under her belt, She’s going to be killing it.”
True again and honestly, we should have seen it coming. She had already expressed her desire to lean into the role of a leader in the team. “I want to be a leader, even though it is my rookie season,” Bueckers told reporters on May 11. “And continue to use my voice and find the best ways to do it, while not overstepping. I just want to gain everyone’s respect to the point where they respect my voice.” And she has kept reiterating this since then.
That said, Paige is slowly unfolding herself as the kind of player who doesn’t just play the game, but wants to run the show when it counts. Like a true leader. As Utterback put it, once Bueckers gets more opportunities on the court, she’ll be able to become that voice eventually. And honestly, if her stint till now is anything to go by, she’s already sending out some pretty convincing “trust me, I got this” vibes.
Paige Buecker aspires for a 40-minute run
You would think that with opponents double-teaming her and forcing the ball out of her hands, 36-37 minutes played would have the rookie out of breath, right? Well, think again. When questioned regarding her feelings on playing 37 minutes straight on the court against Seattle Storm, Bueckers was quick to respond with, “I’m feeling good. I want to be on the court for all 40 up to me. So, I mean I’m cool with the four that I said, but, just, yeah, I’m feeling good.”
And if Geno’s words are any proof, she deserves that. “What didn’t she do? She shot the ball great. She passed the ball great. She handled the ball. She rebounded. She’s become a really good defender,” Geno once said. Surely enough, as the season progresses, she should be able to establish that in the W as well.
Till then, it is clear this rookie is here to stay and become one of the most respected voices in the sport.
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