“You Want to Prove You Can Do It”: Paige Bueckers Aims to Bring Defensive Versatility to WNBA Stage
Paige Bueckers built her reputation at UConn with poise, playmaking, and scoring brilliance. But as she enters her rookie season with the Dallas Wings, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft is focused on something more foundational: defense, growth, and daily development.
While her offensive prowess drew headlines throughout her college career, Bueckers said the defensive experience she gained playing on the wing, especially when asked to defend bigger matchups during UConn’s injury-riddled championship run, prepared her for the physicality and versatility required at the WNBA level.
“It actually is relevant to today,” Bueckers said during Thursday’s media availability. “When we are playing defense and we’re trying to get size to the rim, I don’t need to switch out. I can stay in there and guard fours.”
Bueckers embraced that role out of necessity in 2023–24, returning from an ACL tear to help lead a short-handed Huskies squad. Spending more time guarding power forwards, she showcased her willingness to scrap inside, help defensively, and do whatever it took to win. She finished her final collegiate season averaging 19.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.1 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game—while shooting 53.5% from the floor, 41.9% from three, and 88.9% from the free-throw line.
Now in Dallas, she’s working to bring that same all-around presence to a Wings team that finished 9–31 last season and ranked last in defensive rating.
“There’s definitely a different level of physicality and grown-woman strength in the fours here than in the fours in college,” she said. “But it just adds another layer of competitiveness to make a point. You want to prove that you can do it. And just wanting to get defensive stops, and be able to guard one through five. Probably not fives, but we’ll get there.”
Her mindset mirrors the approach taken by first-year head coach Chris Koclanes, who has made patience, connection, and accountability central themes of the Wings’ rebuild.
“[We’re] trying not to skip any steps,” Koclanes said. “We talk a lot about the balance of patience and urgency—fostering connection without forcing it, but being intentional about how we grow together.”
The Wings are relying heavily on their revamped roster, which features Bueckers alongside fellow rookies Aziaha James, Madison Scott, and JJ Quinerly. Offseason additions like DiJonai Carrington, who brings a rugged, two-way edge to the perimeter, also play a role.
“We’ve got all sorts of tools on this roster,” Koclanes said. “I’m really excited about the versatility we have on both sides of the ball. So yes, for sure—you can expect to see some different things.”
“You’re going to see some unique defensive combinations,” he added. “Between Paige, DiJonai, JJ, Maddy [Siegrist]—we’ve got multiple players who can guard across positions.”
Veteran guard Arike Ogunbowale, now in her seventh season, praised Bueckers for how quickly she’s picked things up and adapted to the system.
“Obviously, Paige is one of the best college players to come out,” Ogunbowale said. “She’ll have a great WNBA career. It’s been fun these last couple weeks playing with her, and it’s only going to continue to get better. She’s not just scoring—she’s doing everything.”
Though her WNBA debut is still ahead, Bueckers already feels at home in Dallas.
“The city and the organization have both been very welcoming,” she said. “It’s been fun getting to know new people and build new relationships within the organization.”
When asked what she’s enjoyed most so far, her answer was simple.
“The easy answer is everything,” she said. “Just the people here. Coach Chris talked about how obviously finding success is important, but you want to find great people first. I think they’ve done a great job from top to bottom finding people who are easy to work with, easy to work for.”
Her focus on culture and growth also extends to her definition of success, which is rooted more in intention than in accolades.
“Success looks like being a great teammate, being a great leader, trying to get better every single day,” Bueckers said. “Lots of learning, lots of asking questions, and just being here, being present with the team. We’re all trying to grow. We’re all trying to get better. There’s a lot of new here, so we’re setting the foundation for what we want to look like in the future.”
Bueckers made her unofficial WNBA debut in Dallas’ preseason opener against the defending champion Las Vegas Aces, a matchup that provided a high-level test early on.
“You’re playing against, especially the Aces, five Olympic-level players and a great team and organization,” she said. “The pace, the flow of the game, the talent level — that’s what stood out.”
She tallied 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting in 23 minutes, adding four rebounds and one assist. But beyond the box score, her defensive poise and positioning stood out to the coaching staff.
“Definitely fighting over screens,” she said. “They’re a lot bigger. They’re a lot more physical. So screen navigation was definitely something that was different than college.”
The Wings’ coaching staff has appreciated Bueckers’ curiosity and drive for excellence as she works to quickly adapt to the most challenging elements of the adjustment process.
“That stuff doesn’t always show up in the box score,” Koclanes said. “But for a rookie, she’s asking the right questions and putting herself in the right spots.”
Screen navigation remained a focal point for the Wings’ guards during Friday’s practice.
“They got their first taste against Vegas of how much quicker and more physical this league is,” Koclanes said. “It takes effort and desire. Technical skills, yes. A lot of that you can overcome just with a fight. So just teaching them to be able to have that fight… As they’re in our system more and they learn and things start to slow down and they can identify what’s about to happen, now they’re in a better position to be able to navigate it.”
Her regular-season debut comes Friday, May 16, when the Wings host the Minnesota Lynx—Bueckers’ hometown team—at College Park Center (6:30 p.m. CT). The significance of the moment isn’t lost on her.
“I’m excited,” she said. “It’ll be a little nerve-wracking, but it’s something we all dream about—playing at the highest level, against the best competition.”
The Wings will close their preseason on Saturday, May 10, with a matchup against Japan’s Toyota Antelopes. But the tone has already been set. For Bueckers, success won’t be measured by stat lines—it’ll be defined by daily commitment, defensive accountability, and helping the Wings build something lasting.
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