Former UConn Star Paige Bueckers Hilariously Reveals Difference in WNBA
After capping off a legendary career at UConn with a dominant national championship win over South Carolina, former Huskies superstar Paige Bueckers is already deep into her first Dallas Wings training camp.
Heading into camp, Buecker's resume speaks for itself. With three First-Team All-America honors and career averages of 19.8 points and 4.6 assists per game, there are high expectations for what Bueckers can do in the WNBA.
However, despite her success, the transition from the WNBA won't be easy. After her first training camp with the Wings, the former UConn star admitted she's still getting used to the WNBA. After practice, Bueckers offered a candid look at the biggest shock so far.
"The screens I got hit by," Bueckers said. "That would be the first like, wow, this is different. Obviously, the floor is a little shrunk. You've got defensive three seconds in the lane, and offensive three seconds in the lane. So, that's a little bit different. Obviously, the pace and then the physicality."
The adjustment is one every rookie faces, but Bueckers’ experience is amplified by the expectations she carries. As a member of the highly touted 2020 high school class alongside stars like Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark, Cameron Brink, and Kamilla Cardoso, three of whom made the WNBA All-Rookie First Team, Bueckers isn’t just trying to survive. She’s aiming to thrive.
The Dallas Wings, coming off a disappointing 9-31 season, are counting on her to help lead a turnaround when they open the WNBA regular season against the Minnesota Lynx.
The hits may be harder, the game faster, and the floor tighter. But if history is any indicator, Bueckers is built to meet the moment after a stellar career at UConn.
Evan Dammarell is a credentialed, award-winning sports journalist who has covered the Cleveland Cavaliers and the NBA for nearly a decade right off the shores of Lake Erie. His work has appeared on Forbes, ClutchPoints, SBNation, FanSided, Heavy, The Locked On Podcast Network, and Right Down Euclid, among others. Evan is committed to his vision to go beyond the scores and so much more so that every fan can always keep up with what’s going on with their favorite teams on and off the court.