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Paige Bueckers' 2-Word Verdict on Wings Offense Speaks Volumes

Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers' first impression of her team's offensive scheme is telling.
Grant Young|
Apr 14, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Paige Bueckers is interviewed by ESPN after being selected with the number one overall pick to the Dallas Wings in the 2025 WNBA Draft at The Shed at Hudson Yards. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Apr 14, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Paige Bueckers is interviewed by ESPN after being selected with the number one overall pick to the Dallas Wings in the 2025 WNBA Draft at The Shed at Hudson Yards. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Scoring was not the biggest problem for the Dallas Wings' offense during the 2024 WNBA season, which is shown by their 84.2 points per game being the fourth-highest in the league.

However, a huge chunk of this scoring was produced between three players: Arike Ogunbowale, Natasha Howard, and Satou Sabally (once she returned from an injury that limited her to just 15 regular season games last season).

Both Howard and Sabally left Dallas this offseason. While this was a clear blow to the Wings, they recovered a lot of their offensive potential by drafting former UConn Huskies star Paige Bueckers with the No. 1 pick of the 2025 WNBA Draft.

Despite not having any professional experience, Bueckers' versatile skillset and scoring ability will likely translate to the WNBA relatively fast. And if the Wings' offensive scheme can find a way to maximize her skillset, then the team should be scoring at a similar (or even better) rate than one year ago.

When speaking with the media on April 28, Bueckers detailed what she likes about the Wings' offense.

"Free flowing," Bueckers said, per an X post from reporter Drake Keeler. "[Coach Chris Koclanes] gives you concepts, ideas, foundational pieces. Not really a ton of set plays to where you have to do this, and there's no right or wrong. You have to read and react.

"So it's pretty free flowing," she concluded.

Bueckers' ability to manufacture offense on the fly was one of the best aspects of her game while at UConn, and it sounds like Dallas' "free flowing" strategy this season will highlight that.

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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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