Kaitlyn Chen Shares Hilarious Story on Her Dad's Paige Bueckers Fandom

Golden State Valkyries guard Kaitlyn Chen revealed some details about a viral moment between her dad and Paige Bueckers

UConn Huskies guard Kaitlyn Chen (20), guard Paige Bueckers (5) and forward Aubrey Griffin (44) pose for a photo after a Elite 8 NCAA Tournament basketball game against the USC Trojans at Spokane Arena. / James Snook-Imagn Images

Before she was with the Golden State Valkyries, Kaitlyn Chen was lighting up the court as a member of the UConn Huskies.

Chen joined the Huskies just in time to play a part in winning the 2025 NCAA Tournament with her team and played alongside now-fellow WNBA player Paige Bueckers. Chen and Bueckers haven't been teammates since then, but that hasn't stopped either of them from showing love to one another.

However, it's not just Chen who was a major fan of Bueckers, but her father as well.

Golden State Valkyries guard Kaitlyn Chen (2) drives to the basket against Phoenix Mercury guard Sami Whitcomb (33) in the third quarter at Chase Center. / Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Chen Joins Azzi Fudd's Podcast

Chen and Bueckers have maintained a friendship since they've both departed from UConn for the WNBA, and Chen even named Bueckers as her favorite UConn alumnus on Fudd Around and Find Out, Azzi Fudd's podcast. Fudd is another one of Chen's past UConn teammates, leading to a number of anecdotes when Chen joined the podcast as a guest on Oct. 17.

One of those anecdotes included Chen recalling a funny moment from when her Valkyries faced off against Bueckers' Dallas Wings earlier in the season. Chen's father, Yeh-Ching Chen, made waves for his jersey choice when he attended the game. Instead of his own daughter's jersey, he opted for a Bueckers UConn jersey instead. It was a moment that immediately went viral.

“He loves Paige, and he was like, ‘This is my one chance to wear my Paige jersey," Chen recalled. “Don’t worry, he talked to me about it before, and I honestly thought it would be pretty funny. So I was like, ‘Go for it.’”

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Chen and Bueckers' Future Faceoffs

Chen and Bueckers both came into the WNBA in 2025 and while Bueckers took the league by storm and won Rookie of the Year, Chen found her place with the Valkyries on the Expansion team's exciting and record-setting debut roster.

Both seem to have long professional careers ahead of them with many more matchups between the old college teammates ahead. When they face off again in 2026 and beyond, Chen's father could either go with his daughter's number on his back, or he might have a chance to dust off his old UConn jersey again.

Aug 30, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Valkyries guard Kaitlyn Chen (2) calls out to teammates as she brings the ball down the court against the Washington Mystics during the fourth quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images / Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

While Chen and Bueckers are an opposing sides as of today, hopefully, there's a moment in their futures where they can finally be teammates again. If there's one person who would appreciate that besides Chen, it would be her father.

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