Paige Bueckers hails 'bucket getter' Arike Ogunbowale ahead of pair's highly-anticipated season

After being selected first in the 2025 WNBA draft, incoming rookie Paige Bueckers is eager to share the court with Dallas Wings teammate Arike Ogunbowale. Throughout her career, Ogunbowale has been hailed as one of the best offensive players in the WNBA.

Because of that, Bueckers is eager to share the floor with the four-time All-Star, whom she called a "bucket getter" during her introductory press conference on Wednesday.

"She's a bucket getter, can score at all three levels ... Looking to assist her a lot ... build the excitement of a new system ... just a lot of new. Just excited to build with everyone."

With Bueckers poised to handle point guard duties for the team, the expectation is that coach Chris Koclanes will likely wind up starting the two alongside one another. Bueckers is likely to serve as the starting point guard and Ogunbowale as the starting shooting guard.

Of course, given Ogunbowale's prowess as a one-on-one scorer, in addition to Bueckers looking to facilitate and get her open, she will likely retain plenty of primary ballhandler duties.

Throughout her four years at the University of Connecticut, Bueckers showed that in addition to being a talented scorer, she can also playmake at an elite level. During the 2024-25 NCAA season, she notably averaged 4.6 assists per game, the most she's averaged since her freshman year in 2020-21.

Looking at the 2025 WNBA season ahead for the Dallas Wings after drafting Paige Bueckers

Last season, the Dallas Wings missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2020 season. After first-round eliminations in 2021 and 2022, the team made it out of the first round in 2023. However, last season, they were unable to build on the momentum.

Following a disappointing 2024 season that saw the team post a 9-31 record en route to an 11th-place finish, Dallas' front office went to work bolstering their roster.

Now, in addition to playing alongside Arike Ogunbowale, Paige Bueckers will be flanked by some heavy-hitting WNBA standouts like DiJonai Carrington and NaLyssa Smith.

The team is set to begin the preseason on May 2 with a game against the Las Vegas Aces. Bueckers and the Wings will then collide with the Toyota Antelopes in an exhibition game on May 10, before tipping off the regular season on May 16 against the Minnesota Lynx.

With a budding young superstar in Paige Bueckers and added depth, it will be interesting to see how the season ahead plays out for Dallas.