‘Every Great Story Begins With Paige 1‘ – a caption used Dallas Wings’ used for the first overall pick, Paige Bueckers. And even before her induction, there was a huge buzz around her. ‘Paige Bueckers effect will surpass Caitlin Clark Effect’ and ‘Paige Bueckers doesn’t have the ‘IT’ factor like Clark’, these two were the main points of discussion before the 2025 WNBA draft. But if you go deeper into these, the players in the discussion are rookies only. Fans and even the media are talking about Paige and Caitlin, in a league established back in 1996. So, is it true that the two rookies are taking over the WNBA in two seasons? Should established stars be worried about it?
They were all ready. Weren’t they? Remember DT’s ‘reality check’ comment? Hard fouls on CC? Trying to dim the spotlight on Caitlin in TV interviews and podcasts? As far as fans go, they saw them as desperate attempts to make themselves more relevant to the rise and grab attention. Were those necessary? Will there be a similar case for Paige Bueckers?
Maybe, maybe not. But there is no denying Bueckers’ influence. Her hometown is already naming her debut date as ‘Paige Bueckers day’ and even looking to put her name as their identity for the day. And her new franchise is not far behind.
If we scroll the Wings’ IG profile, the girl is everywhere. Photos and videos of Paige wearing Cowboy hats, her interviews highlighted, her photoshoots all screaming just one name. The Wings even got a specially made animated video for Paige Bueckers that took the artist a month to complete. The signs are clear: Bueckers is the most marketable asset Dallas wants to cash in on. Even their official Twitter handle claimed “Rizz sold separately”.
But with all the excitement around her, a national analyst’s voice has brought out a new point to consider. Should this treatment alarm the vets? Do they need to be more aligned with this current facelift of the league? Well, Greydy Diaz certainly thinks so and has a suggestion for them, too.
“Get on those TikToks with the players.” She said in the ‘Sports Are Fun’ Podcast. “Get on Angel Reese’s TikTok. If anything, that will help you, you know, a little. Let the kids know who you are.” And well, social media stats might back her up. Paige has 2.4 million followers on Instagram, while Satou Sabally and Anike Ogunbowale collectively have just 554k followers.
rizz sold separately pic.twitter.com/Su9tB8HBGk
— Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) April 24, 2025
And it makes sense why Diaz thinks so. After all, fans want to know WHO’s behind the scores. Just think of how many of Angel Reese’s dancing videos have gone viral. “Ipad kids,” as Diaz called them, know how to connect with their fans. Reese was just grooving to the beat of 2Pac’s classic “How Do U Want It” after hitting 5 million followers on TikTok, when fans went “Bayou Barbie!!!” about the choice of the song. That confidence and swagger? Perfectly matched. And of course, there’s the money side of things that, as sad as it might sound, keeps boosting relevancy even when you have made all the perfect shots.
However, Diaz also pointed out how the experienced players are actually picking up now. Looking at their attempts, she said, “Oh, this is new for you. But I love it because I am learning so much more about them.” But this couldn’t be a single solution for every vet.
BJ, a member of the podcast crew, mentioned that one cannot count out players like A’ja Wilson and Napheesa Collier because they don’t have that social media presence. Their games should elevate them. The stars made their name with their output on the court, their greedy plays, and their wins. So, for them, being or not being on TikTok should not matter. Diaz agrees with that, too. And this reminds us of what Rebecca Lobo once said of Taurasi, who never transitioned into this megastar off the court, as per many.
“I don’t know if there’s a bigger marketing ball that’s been dropped than us not talking about Diana Taurasi nonstop,” Lobo said. “It’s not that great players haven’t existed in the league; it’s that we haven’t done right by them. Taurasi should have been on national TV every week, and we should have been talking about her across the network.” So, yes, the responsibility to be recognized should not lie on the players’ shoulders alone, especially when they are being paid so little. The media perspective and the teams’ PR efforts play a greater role than anything ever could. Anyway, good for the Wings. Their tactics to put Paige on the cover worked. They have already seen improvements in sales figures, though the numbers are not officially out yet.
But there was one player in particular who held a pretty different stance when it came to veterans.
Why the WNBA needs to learn balance
If you remember, in 2023, former LSU star Alexis Morris sounded off against veterans staying on the field after the age of 35. It all rose from the fact that Morris was waived by the Sun after being drafted. The following week, a similar pattern could be seen, as we are all aware that not every drafted rookie makes it into the roster. She took out her frustration on WNBA veterans, saying, “The vets gotta know when to cut the net, and pass the torch bro…If you knocking at 35, hang it up and I mean WIRED HANGER ‘Hang it up.’”
While she received a lot of criticism for her comments and even later apologized, the incident highlighted one issue that plagues the league even in 2025. Limited roster spots. Even after that, it is not like the players receive a handsome salary. So, several players like Natasha Howard have long asked for expansion, however, longer strides still need to be taken.
And to be honest, while rookies do suffer, so do veterans at times. Last year, Bria Hartley, a veteran with nine years of experience, was let go. While a single reason was not specified, many on Reddit speculated it was because she was too expensive. However, it’s possible her injury-laden past played a significant role as well. Before Aces, Indiana had waived her in 2022 as well to sign Rennia Davis, Minnesota’s first-round draft pick.
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