Paige Bueckers just turned 24, and the WNBA made sure she felt the love. The Dallas Wings’ star and 2025 No. 1 overall pick marked the moment by posting a set of photos on Instagram that pretty much summed up her journey so far — from family and UConn memories to her big leap into the pros.
“God didn’t play at all about year 23. Forever Blessed and highly favored. Thank you God!” Bueckers wrote in her caption, capping off a post that had fans and fellow players flooding her comments section.
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Steph Curry’s sister, Sydel Curry-Lee, jumped in first with a quick shoutout.
“Libra gang! Birthday twin,” she wrote.
Then came Chicago’s Angel Reese, who’s become tight with Paige since their All-Star weekend run. Her message? Classic Angel.
“happy birthday pskiiiii,” she commented.
Even Sparks forward Dearica Hamby joined in, throwing in her signature humor.
“Damn. You almost was a Scorpio 🔥🔥 happy birthday lol.”
All the birthday love came after what’s been a breakout rookie year for Bueckers. The Wings guard averaged 19.2 points, 5.4 assists, and 3.9 boards across 36 games — and of course, snagged Rookie of the Year honors. It’s the kind of debut people had already predicted back on draft night, but she made it official in style.
“He loves Paige”: Paige Bueckers’ former UConn teammate shares wholesome story
While birthday wishes poured in, Paige Bueckers also got a surprise mention from an old teammate. Golden State Valkyries guard Kaitlyn Chen shared a lighthearted story from when her team faced Dallas earlier this season.
Chen revealed on Azzi Fudd’s “Fudd Around and Find Out” podcast that her dad showed up to the game wearing Bueckers’ UConn jersey.
“He loves Paige, and he was like, ‘This is my one chance to wear my Paige jersey,'” Chen said. “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.'”
Chen and Bueckers famously helped UConn capture a national title before entering the 2025 WNBA Draft. And while Chen’s dad remains her biggest supporter, he’s never hidden the fact that he’s just as big a Bueckers fan.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
