Dwyane Wade couldn’t hide his excitement about Paige Bueckers on the latest episode of his Time Out podcast. The former NBA star has been tracking her career for years, and watching her rookie season unfold in Dallas only deepened his respect.
Bueckers entered the WNBA as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 Draft after leading UConn to a national title. The hype was massive, and she lived up to it. In 36 games for the Wings, the guard averaged 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists on her way to being named Rookie of the Year.
For Wade, none of this came as a surprise. He’s been following her story since she was a kid in Minnesota playing youth basketball for her dad’s team. To him, seeing her success on the biggest stage feels like the natural next step.
“She’s winning in life right now in front of the whole world,” Wade said. “I’m just a fan, I don’t know Paige Bueckers. She just looks cool to me bro, like I want to be her friend.”
Wade believes the Rookie of the Year award is only the start.
“Rookie of the Year is just the beginning of her pro career,” he said. “The way she plays the game, it’s seamless, it’s effortless. I can’t wait to continue to watch the journey.”
Paige Bueckers’ college setbacks benefited Caitlin Clark according to Dwayne Wade
This isn’t the first time Wade has connected Paige Bueckers’ path to the broader women’s basketball landscape. Back in August, he discussed how her college setbacks helped open the door for Caitlin Clark’s rise at Iowa.
“The ACL injury in college opened up the window for Caitlin Clark,” Wade said. “Now, Caitlin has always been a good player, but she wasn’t known. Paige had these injuries, and then Caitlin had these amazing two years in college.”
While Clark became the face of the Hawkeyes, Bueckers eventually got her moment with UConn, leading the Huskies to a championship before stepping into the WNBA spotlight.
Now, both guards are shaping the future of the league. Dallas, despite finishing with the league’s worst record this year, has a franchise cornerstone to build around. After a dazzling rookie season, Bueckers gives the Wings hope for what comes next.
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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.
