Paige Bueckers provides Christmas surprise to Unrivaled teammates

Is Paige Bueckers getting an early start on recruiting for the Dallas Wings?

Aug 29, 2025; College Park, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard (10) talks to Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) in the second quarter at Gateway Center Arena at College Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Unrivaled League is just a few days away from starting its second annual season, and Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers will be partaking for the first time. She's an investor in the league, but she was still at UConn last year when Unrivaled first started.

Bueckers is already making an impression on her Breeze BC teammates, which could be found on Kate Martin's Instagram story. Bueckers gave them all Christmas gift baskets that included Lesser Evil popcorn, a LEGO set, what looks to be a pair of shoes, some candy, and a hilariously designed "Paige Buck."

paige made christmas gift baskets for team breeze?! THE PAIGE BUCKS 😭 pic.twitter.com/cG2f6stmhX

— K (@PBBUCKET5) December 28, 2025

READ MORE: Jose Fernandez talks about his conversations with Paige Bueckers on Dallas Wings

Paige Bueckers is on a team with Martin, Cam Brink, Aari McDonald, Rickea Jackson, and Dominique Malonga, and they are considered to be one of the better teams this year. It helps that Bueckers is already one of the best talents in women's basketball, and a 3-on-3 setting should fit her abilities perfectly.

But some are speculating that Bueckers could be giving these baskets out as a recruiting tactic for when WNBA free agency opens. The new CBA needs to be agreed upon and ratified before free agency would open, but the Dallas Wings are expected to be one of the major players in free agency this offseason.

Oct 6, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers looks on during the second quarter between the Dallas Mavericks and the Oklahoma City Thunder at Dickie's Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Most stars in the WNBA are set to be free agents because they knew the new CBA would have higher salaries, and they wanted to take advantage of it. But the Wings should have loads of salary space available whenever the CBA is ratified, as the only players they have under contract (Bueckers, Aziaha James, JJ Quinerly, Maddy Siegrist, and Diamond Miller) are all on their rookie contracts still.

One player the Wings have to make a decision on though is Arike Ogunbowale, who is set to be a free agent this offseason. She's a four-time All-Star, but she had her worst season as a pro this year, and it's fair to wonder if she can co-exist alongside Bueckers. But the Wings will likely prioritize trying to bring her back first.

Having a talent like Bueckers is going to have many free agents and players wanting to join the Wings, just like we saw with the Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark last year. Having a new coach should also help, as Jose Fernandez was able to develop a few WNBA players in his time at the University of South Florida.

READ MORE: Former Dallas Wings center could make her way back to WNBA

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