This WNBA season, Paige Bueckers delivered everything fans hoped for with the Dallas Wings. The rookie quickly gained fame as one of the best players of the year.
Her standout performance at UConn made her a favorite among women’s basketball fans, and now, in the pros, she has shown both elite skills and remarkable adaptability.
A mix of admiration and respect
According to The Sports Rush, what caught Sue Bird’s attention most was what Paige Bueckers brings to the Wings.
In the latest episode of her podcast Bird’s Eye View, Bird said she enjoys watching Bueckers, who was once her teammate with the Huskies.
“It’s been a bit of an up-and-down season for the Wings, but Paige has delivered an outstanding rookie year with top-tier productivity and historic scoring milestones. There will probably be a lot of conversation about her numbers as they enter a historical context, but that’s not at all what impressed me most about Paige,” Bird said.
Paige Bueckers is your @Kia Rookie of the Month for the 3rd time this season!
AUGUST STATS: 20.3 PPG | 3.7 RPG | 5.0 APG#KiaROTM | #WelcometotheW pic.twitter.com/oGKKAfmbGi— WNBA (@WNBA) September 3, 2025
She even compared Bueckers to another WNBA star. “Similar to Caitlin [Clark] last year… it’s been really fun watching her play. It’s been fun seeing her let loose, like when she hit that step-back 3 in front of Kyrie. It’s also been fun to watch her grow in her professional game.”
In fact, Bird admitted that even though she can attend WNBA games for free, she would pay to watch Paige Bueckers play. The rookie has already locked up the Rookie of the Year award, ranking top 10 in assists, scoring, and steals per game.
For Bird, Bueckers secured that title when she scored 44 points against the Sparks, shooting 17-for-21. “She actually became the first WNBA player to shoot at least 80% while scoring more than 40, so add that to the list… Of her 17 field goals, 13 were twos, and half of those came from mid-range.”
In that game, the Wings’ star showed she is a multifaceted piece for the franchise. However, the team lost, highlighting the need to build a stronger roster around Bueckers so she can take the Wings as far as possible in the next WNBA season.
