Paige Bueckers Makes Feelings Clear on Valkyries’ Kaitlyn Chen

Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers spoke before the Golden State Valkyries game.

UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) reacts with guard Kaitlyn Chen (20) after a play against the Villanova Wildcats in the second half at Mohegan Sun Arena. / David Butler II-Imagn Images

College teammates may become WNBA rivals, but the friendship doesn't fade.

When the Dallas Wings came to town Friday night to play the Golden State Valkyries in Ballhalla, their All-Star guard Paige Bueckers naturally came with them. Bueckers has been a rookie sensation in the WNBA and she began making a name for herself in college with the UConn Huskies.

Though she wasn't the only Husky in the Bay on Friday night. Golden State guard Kailtyn Chen is the usual UConn alum patrolling the courts of the Chase Center, where she prepared to cross paths with her former teammate for at the WNBA level.

UConn Huskies guard Kaitlyn Chen (20), guard Paige Bueckers (5) and forward Aubrey Griffin (44) / James Snook-Imagn Images

Chen and Bueckers were teammates at UConn, playing four seasons together, though Bueckers missed the entirety of the 22-23 season due to injury. They had a historic time in the UConn backcourt, especially in the end when they closed out their college careers together as the 2024 NCAA Champions.

The pair of guards had a chance to face off when their respective teams played each other Friday night, and Bueckers had fond words for her college teammate.

"I'm extremely happy for her [Chen], I knew her opportunity was coming," Bueckers said before the game (via Kenzo Fukuda). "I know she works extremely hard and she has a great mindset about her."

Paige Bueckers on the success of her UConn teammate Kaitlyn Chen on the Golden State Valkyries:

“Yeah, it’s extremely cool. I’m extremely happy for her, I know she works extremely hard and she has a great mindset about that.” pic.twitter.com/8TlsCUhb5U

— Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) July 26, 2025

While Bueckers was the first overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft and has been one of the faces of the league has, Chen has enjoyed her own success on the Valkyries

Chen was drafted in the third round of that same draft, 30th overall, and in a mirror of fellow Golden State guard Kate Martin's experience at the draft the year before, Chen was mostly there to cheer on Bueckers and had a bit of a shock when her own name was called. Chen became the first player of Taiwanese descent to be drafted to the WNBA on that night.

Chen has appeared in nine games for the Valkyries this season and has been both waived and re-signed by the team. In those games she has averaged 3.8 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists off the bench while shooting 52% from the field.