Paige Bueckers Is a ‘Huge Fan’ of This Texas Longhorns Women's Basketball Star

This Texas Longhorns player caught the attention of WNBA Rookie of the Year and former UConn star Paige Bueckers during March Madness.

Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers celebrates after the game against the Phoenix Mercury at College Park Center. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Paige Bueckers has been on top of the basketball world over the last year. In April 2025, she won a national title with the UConn Huskies and was drafted No. 1 overall by the WNBA’s Dallas Wings about a week later.

Since then, she earned WNBA Rookie of the Year honors and was named to the All-WNBA Second Team and All-Unrivaled First Team.

An endorsement from one of the biggest names in their sport is an exciting proposition for any athlete, and Bueckers shared that she is a fan of one of the Texas Longhorns’ star players as she dominates the March Madness stage.

Paige Bueckers Shows Love to Texas Longhorns Star Madison Booker

Texas Longhorns forward Madison Booker controls the ball as Michigan Wolverines guard Olivia Olson defends during the first half at Dickies Arena. | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Amid her dominant run through the NCAA Tournament, Texas forward Madison Booker has received a lot of love on social media for her play. She has received comparisons to Kevin Durant, an NBA superstar and former Texas standout. Wearing his iconic No. 35, Booker has modeled her game after him, and the two have a close relationship.

However, her play has caught the attention of another star, Bueckers, who was a member of the reigning champions in 2025. Bueckers did an interview with Lily Shimbashi on TOGETHXR's YouTube channel, where she praised Booker's play.

“I'm also a huge fan of Madison Booker, so I really like her game and the way she plays. I think, too, she's keeping the mid-range game alive, so that's my bread and butter. So, I love when another person, that's where they thrive,” Bueckers said.

Booker indeed dominates in the mid-range game. According to the ESPN broadcast, Booker leads all Division I players in mid-range field goals this season as of the time of the broadcast. Her 151 made mid-range shots were also more than 335 Division I teams.

Texas Longhorns forward Madison Booker attempts a basket against Kentucky Wildcats forward Kaelyn Carroll during the second half at Dickies Arena. | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

During the NCAA Tournament, Booker is averaging 22.5 points per game while shooting 58.6% from the field. She notably had a 40-point outing against the Oregon Ducks in the Round of 32, hitting 14 of her 21 shots.

This season, Booker is currently averaging 19.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. She led the SEC in win shares, according to Sports Reference, and was named to her third consecutive All-American team, as many as Bueckers in her illustrious college career.

Booker’s teammate, Rori Harmon, also received some love from Bueckers. During her 2022 season, Bueckers tore her ACL, forcing her to take a redshirt season. Similarly, Harmon tore her ACL in 2023 but has recovered and has been a critical part of the Longhorns’ path to the Final Four.

Bueckers shouted out some of the top players in college basketball who have also recovered from ACL injuries. Harmon, South Carolina’s Raven Johnson and UConn’s Azzi Fudd all earned All-American honors.

“To be able to be faced with one of the toughest injuries in sport and come back and be at the peak of your performance, I think that's a storyline in itself just for younger girls to see, this is not a career-ending injury for you,” Bueckers said. “You can get back to peak performance. You can get back and be even better than you were before.”

Texas Longhorns forward Madison Booker and guard Rori Harmon celebrate a 64-53 win against the Kentucky Wildcats after the game at Moody Center. | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

Booker, Harmon and the Texas Longhorns take on the No. 1-seeded UCLA Bruins in a rematch of their non-conference game in November. Texas won by 11, and now the two sides meet again in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament.

With a victory, the Longhorns would make their first national championship game appearance since their title-winning run in 1986. With UConn and South Carolina on the other side of the bracket, a matchup with Bueckers’ old squad could be on the table.

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