Valkyries’ Kaitlyn Chen Had 5-Word Reaction to Paige Bueckers Making WNBA History
Dallas Wings rookie guard and 2025 No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers registered perhaps the most impressive rookie performance in WNBA history on Wednesday, tallying 44 points on a remarkable 80/100/100 shooting clip.
Bueckers got plenty of props from fans, players and media throughout the league for her historic performance. One player who made sure to send a message to the Rookie of the Year frontrunner was former UConn teammate and current Golden State Valkyries guard Kaitlyn Chen, who sent a five-word message to Bueckers via her Instagram story on Thursday.
"That's a lot of points," Chen wrote.
Chen played a pivotal role for the 2024-25 UConn Huskies women's basketball team that ended a nine-year national title drought for the program. Chen played a key role as a traditional point guard, allowing Bueckers to strive as a two-guard where she feels most comfortable.
Chen transferred to UConn for her senior season after spending the first three years of her career playing at Princeton. With the Tigers, Chen was a two-time All-Ivy League first team member and the 2024 Ivy League Player of the Year award winner. Chen also led the Tigers to three straight conference tournament titles, winning three consecutive Ivy League tournament MOP awards in the process.
Chen and Bueckers Set to Face Off in Valkyries-Wings Game
While Chen hasn't been on the Valkyries roster for the entire season, she did get a chance to face off against Bueckers when the Wings traveled to San Francisco in late July. Chen praised Bueckers in an interview with the Bay Area News Group, highlighting her personality and leadership abilities.
"Paige is someone who is very selfless,” Chen said. “You can see that with everything she does, on and off the court, and you can tell by the way she speaks so highly of her teammates and her coaches. She’s definitely someone you want to surround yourself with.”
Paige Bueckers on the success of her UConn teammate Kaitlyn Chen on the Golden State Valkyries:
— Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) July 26, 2025
“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
The Valkyries and Wings are set to square off in the grudge match for the season series on Sunday in Dallas. The Valks can't focus too far ahead, however, as they have a date with the playoff-bound Phoenix Mercury on Friday. It's a must-win for Golden State, especially considering the close proximity of the WNBA standings.
Will Despart is a Las Vegas-based sportswriter who covers the WNBA for OnSI. He also writes for Ballislife and handles multiple beats for The Sporting Tribune, including the Las Vegas Aces and Las Vegas Raiders. His reporting has been featured in newspapers across the country through the Field Level Media news wire.