3 major expectations the Dallas Wings have from Paige Bueckers

Modified Apr 07, 2025 11:30 GMT

NCAA Women — major expectations the Dallas Wings have from Paige Bueckers (Credits: Getty)

The Dallas Wings hold the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft and are expected to select UConn’s Paige Bueckers. The 23-year-old is coming off a historic season for the Huskies, leading them to the national championship. She recorded 17 points, six rebounds and three assists to lead the Huskies over the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Following her stellar showing at UConn this season, fans expect great things from Bueckers in the WNBA. The Dallas Wings, the favorites to land the 23-year-old, will also have high expectations from the UConn guard.

So, let’s look at three major expectations the Dallas Wings will have from Paige Bueckers.

Three major expectations the Dallas Wings have from Paige Bueckers

#1 Elevate the Wings’ offense

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Bueckers made 37 appearances for the Huskies this season, recording 20.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game, shooting an efficient 53.9% from the field.

She also made 42.4% of all her 3-pointer attempts. Evidently, Bueckers is a gifted scorer and playmaker. As such, the Wings will expect her to elevate their offense upon her arrival.

#2 Build chemistry with Arike Ogunbowale

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The Wings will also expect Bueckers to build chemistry with their star guard, Arike Ogunbowale. The 28-year-old made 38 appearances for Dallas in 2024, recording 22.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.1 steals per game.

She made the All-Star team and was named to the All-WNBA second team. If Bueckers can quickly build chemistry with Arike, the Wings will possess a formidable backcourt.

#3 Make the playoffs

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The Dallas Wings finished last season with the second-worst record in the league, ahead of only the LA Sparks. They finished 9-31 for the season and were six games behind the Atlanta Dream, who made the playoffs with a 15-25 record. With Paige Bueckers' addition, Dallas will have more quality than last season.

As such, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the Wings will expect to make the playoffs, especially if they draft a promising prospect like Bueckers. A core of Arike Ogunbowale, Teaira McCowan and Paige Bueckers might surprise many teams in 2025. Of course, most of it will depend on how well Bueckers transitions to the league.

Bueckers will also be expected to win the Rookie of the Year award. She's coming into the league as the best prospect from this year’s draft class, making it likely that whoever drafts her will expect her to win.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by Bhargav