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Cooper Flagg's Stance on Paige Bueckers Support Bodes Well for Dallas' Future

Dallas Wings rookie Cooper Flagg spoke about Paige Bueckers having his back.
Grant Young|
Nov 17, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) looks on against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
Nov 17, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) looks on against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Dallas professional basketball teams have had great luck when it comes to their respective rookie drafts over the past year.

This is because the Dallas Wings landed the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft and used it to select former UConn Huskies star Paige Bueckers. The Dallas Mavericks also for the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft and selected former Duke Blue Devils star Cooper Flagg.

Bueckers had a seamless transition from college to the professional game, ultimately winning the 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year Award for her success. And she shared words of wisdom to Flagg about playing as a rookie in Dallas during an interview with WFAA from back in May, where she said, "Just to take it in stride. Don't try to appease people or try to live up to the expectations that other people set for yourself. Just be who you are. He's a winner, and he's a competitor. He just wants to contribute to winning, and that's all he cares about.

"So stay true to who he is and what has gotten him to be the No. 1 pick," Bueckers concluded.

Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers looks on during an October 6, 2025 game
Oct 6, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers looks on during the second quarter between the Dallas Mavericks and the Oklahoma City Thunder at Dickie's Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Cooper Flagg Speaks on Paige Bueckers Support

Bueckers' support for Flagg hasn't only been verbal, as she also showed up to watch several Mavericks games this season. She was in the building when Dallas beat the New Orleans Pelicans on November 21, a contest in which Flagg scored a career-high 29 points along with 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals.

Flagg spoke with the media after the game and addressed the support Bueckers has shown him since he came to Dallas.

“She obviously had an incredible rookie season, and she’s gonna do amazing things with her career. So it’s kinda cool to see, for her to show up, and I was able to go to one of her games right after the draft, when I got down here," Flagg said of Bueckers, per an X post from Noah Weber of FanSided.

"It’s cool to see the support and show up and be there for each other, I think that’s pretty cool. And hopefully we'll keep it going, going forward," he added.

It will be fun to see how Flagg and Bueckers' respective careers progress, and whether they can turn Dallas into one of the most successful basketball cities in the country. While both teams have a long way to go before becoming contenders, having a young franchise player is a great place to start.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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