Women's Fastbreak On SI

Paige Bueckers Sets Record Straight About Narrative She Wanted to Avoid Dallas Wings

Paige Bueckers sent a clear message about the narrative that she didn't want to play for the Dallas Wings in the WNBA.
Grant Young|
Apr 5, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) talks to media before the NCAA Woman’s Final practice at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Apr 5, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) talks to media before the NCAA Woman’s Final practice at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

In the months leading up to the 2025 WNBA Draft, there were several reports that former UConn Huskies star guard Paige Bueckers (who was the consensus No. 1 pick of that draft) didn't want to play for the Dallas Wings, who held the rights to that first pick.

WNBA journalist Howard Medgal suggested that Bueckers would outright refuse to play for the Wings during a January 8 appearance on the Hoffman Women's Sports show, and a November 18 article from ESPN's Michael Voepel indicated Dallas was not Bueckers' preferred team to land the draft's No. 1 pick.

Bueckers never stated anything like this directly, and ultimately was selected by the Wings with that top pick.

And during a May 7 interview with 105.3 The Fan, Bueckers sent a blunt message about the narrative that she wanted to dodge Dallas in the draft.

"I'm glad you asked, because like you said, everybody has their own narratives and stuff they thought could be true, but I don't think anybody actually heard it from my mouth," Bueckers said, per an X post from @JN21666. "But I was excited for Dallas. It's just an opportunity to do something new... so to be able to start new and build this new foundation this year... embracing a new city that has shown a lot of love."

She later added, "I'm extremely excited for it, I was extremely excited for it. I also wasn't really focused on it at the time, in the moment. But now that it's true and it's coming to fruition, there was never a doubt."

Hopefully this can be the last time Bueckers has to address this false narrative.

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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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