Paige Bueckers Reveals Most Rewarding Part of Playing With Team USA

With one game remaining for the FIBA World Cup qualifiers, Paige Bueckers has enjoyed her experience.

Aug 1, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) in action during the game between the Dallas Wings and the Indiana Fever at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

There is just one game remaining in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers, meaning we have just one more chance to see Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers compete on the international stage until the World Cup officially tips off in September.

Bueckers is currently third on Team USA in scoring, but she leads the team in steals, making her impact felt in a different way. She's taking in all of the experience and enjoying her time in her Senior National Team debut. After Sunday's win over New Zealand, Bueckers revealed what has been the most rewarding part of playing for Team USA on the international stage.

“Honestly, just the relationships that we get to build. And the different All-Star caliber players. And just to see the unselfishness in everybody’s sacrifice for a bigger purpose. Just putting on this USA uniform and representing something so much better than themselves," Bueckers said.

"Just the pride you feel and the sense of joy you feel when you put on this uniform, representing your country with the best players in the world on your team... You never want to take that for granted."

Team USA is a unique mix of young stars like Bueckers, Caitlin Clark, and Angel Reese, while being supplemented by some of the game's best veterans with Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, and Kelsey Plum. It's been important for these groups of stars to gain chemistry before September's World Cup. Even if the roster will change a little bit by then, a lot of these players plan to play in the World Cup, and they needed to have that familiarity.

One Game Remaining for Team USA

Team USA is coming off a dominating win over New Zealand on Sunday, but they have just one more game remaining on Tuesday against Spain. If we use the transitive property, this game shouldn't be too much of an issue for Team USA, as Spain is coming off a 68-56 loss to Italy, which Team USA beat 93-59.

Team USA has continued to tinker with lineups, going with different starters every game. Paige Bueckers has only started one game of the four played so far, but it wouldn't be surprising to see her in the lineup tonight.

Buckers is also leading the fan vote to take home MVP of the Group A games in San Juan. It has been down to a fan vote, and Bueckers currently has over a million votes, while Caitlin Clark is in second with 976,000. No one else is even in contention.