Wings’ Paige Bueckers jokes about being Dallas’ hottest thing

New WNBA darling Paige Bueckers showed her quick wit at her introductory press conference as a Dallas Wings player.

Wings’ Paige Bueckers jokes about being Dallas’ hottest thing

Paige Bueckers (Instagram image)

After a setback to her college career with a torn ACL in 2022, Paige Bueckers has staged an inspirational comeback. She made the Final Four three times with the UConn Huskies and ended up winning it all in her fifth year. Her decision to stay back in college for an extra year came off as a really good bet. Now that she’s in the WNBA as a first overall pick, Bueckers is finally on the big stage.

The initial indications from her composure during the pre-draft process, as well as subsequently, are quite positive. Coming from the most storied program in college basketball history, Paige Bueckers is already a dab hand at handling media interactions. The combo guard has been known to be sassy in past interactions during her college tenure. This trait continues to shine through as she dons Dallas Wings colors.

Speaking to media personnel at her first press conference ahead of her WNBA season warmup, Bueckers sounded upbeat and jovial. When asked about how she feels about her status as the hottest sporting commodity in Dallas, Bueckers had a really funny answer.

I would say the weather is probably hotter than me. Different than Connecticut and Minnesota.

Paige Bueckers joked at her Dallas Wings press conference

This kind of answer is hardly out of character for the 23-year-old. The twinkle in her eyes as she thought of a quick reply showed her readiness for the question. Her response also indicates her ability to stay humble and grounded ahead of leveling her game up. After all, the WNBA will present challenges that Bueckers never faced during her UConn Huskies tenure.

Instead of entering 90% of her games with a talent advantage, Bueckers is now with a rebuilding franchise. Although the Wings have talent in spades at every position, their 2024 season proved to be a disaster. As a result of their down year, dominant big Satou Sabally has departed for greener pastures. It will be up to Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale and Teaira McCowan, among others, to power the Wings this year.

Paige Bueckers vs. Caitlin Clark could become the signature WNBA rivalry

Bueckers and Caitlin Clark are the two most talented players to enter the WNBA since Covid-19. These two players have had a large, organic following, built through their excellence coming up as prospects. Both are capable of being their teams’ offensive heartthrobs, dictating pace and scoring at will. While Clark has differentiated herself as perhaps the greatest rookie in WNBA history, Bueckers isn’t far behind.

Bueckers has the ability to hit jump shots going either, and her size allows her to be a driving threat. She has a three-level scoring game and is able to generate separation against defenders of any size. Although she doesn’t have the passing vision and touch Clark possesses, she’s possibly a bigger threat to defend due to her versatility. She has definitely been a more efficient player than Clark through 4 seasons of college.

Bueckers and Clark faced off in a landmark Final Four clash between Iowa and UConn in 2024. Iowa came out on top in a closely contested game as Clark outplayed Bueckers on the night. Being the competitor that Bueckers is, she will doubtless have some payback for Clark sooner or later. It will be exciting to watch the two offensive juggernauts go at each other in this year’s WNBA Rivals week.

Also Read: Gilbert Arenas disqualifies Stephen Curry from GOAT considerations with solid reasoning