"She's their new Luka": Fans at odds as Paige Bueckers’ post dwarfs NBA No. 1 pick’s by over staggering 1000%

Hoops fans have reacted to the Dallas Wings' welcome post for Paige Bueckers outnumbering the Atlanta Hawks' draft selection post for Zaccharie Risacher in total likes on X. Both Bueckers and Risacher were the No. 1 selection overall, in the 2025 WNBA and 2024 NBA Draft, respectively.

A fan on X posted screenshots of the total likes on the post. The post featuring NBA commissioner Adam Silver announcing Zaccharie Risacher as the No. 1 pick received 2.8K likes. Compared to this, Paige Bueckers' welcome post by Wings got 32K likes, a staggering 1,500% difference.

While the likes on X don't speak the whole truth, it speaks volumes about how the WNBA has garnered widespread popularity among basketball fans. Alluding to the Dallas Mavericks trading Luka Doncic, one of the fans wrote that Paige Bueckers was the new Luka Doncic in Dallas.

"She’s their new luka lol," the fan wrote.

A fan highlighted that Bueckers was more popular than Risacher on social media, while another announced the vibe shift for the WNBA.

"I seen more Paige highlights on TikTok compared to Zac," the fan wrote.

"We are in the middle of a vibe shift," this fan wrote.

Upset with the statline, one of the fans wrote that it wouldn't have happened while David Stern was alive.

"Promise this wouldn’t have happened if Stern was alive," the fan wrote.

However, there were also some fans who downplayed the numbers by bringing other factors. One fan highlighted that while people have known Paige Bueckers for years, Risacher's name has never carried as much weight among fans.

"Paige been one of the best players in the country for years. She’s a celebrity. Most people don’t know who Zaccharie Risacher is even after a year in the NBA," the fan wrote.

Meanwhile, some fans said that the numbers were inflated and social media views are not a reflection of the real world.

"The gooners out here inflating the numbers," the fan wrote.

"Social media followers and likes does not translate into the real world," another fan wrote.

Paige Bueckers could add another vital layer to WNBA's popularity

Paige Bueckers's No. 1 overall selection by the Dallas Wings has set in motion the next stage of the WNBA. After a much hyped up and successful 2024 WNBA Draft, the league experienced yet another in 2025, highlighted by Bueckers.

Bueckers won the NCAA title and got selected as the No. 1 draft pick within eight days. She could easily note these two weeks as the greatest two weeks of her life.

With Paige Bueckers finally joining the WNBA, the obvious comparison with Caitlin Clark is inevitable. When ESPN asked a team GM about the comparison, the GM said that Bueckers could carry a franchise.

"I think she's different (than Clark), but I think she can carry a franchise."

Another GM had a similar reply, commending her aura to lead a franchise both on and off the court.

"Realistically speaking, there's an energy about certain players that can really help invigorate your franchise ... For a young player, she's got an aura about her that could really help a franchise on and off the court."

Paige Bueckers is expected to take the court on May 2, when the Dallas Wings face the Las Vegas Aces in the preseason game.