UConn’s KK Arnold and Morgan Cheli show support to ex-teammate Paige Bueckers ahead of the start of WNBA season

Uconn guards KK Arnold and Morgan Cheli were quick to share their excitement for Paige Bueckers ahead of her rookie season in the WNBA. Arnold and Cheli displayed their support on social media after the duo shared an Instagram post from March Madness on Monday.

Arnold and Cheli played with Bueckers last season as the Huskies went all the way to secure the 2025 NCAA Championship. Arnold and Cheli both shared the post that showed Bueckers flexing in a photo.

UConn’s KK Arnold and Morgan Cheli show support to ex-teammate Paige Bueckers ahead of the start of WNBA season - Image source: Instagram/kamoreaarnold & morgancheli

Paige Bueckers will make her Dallas Wings debut in Friday's WNBA regular season opener. The No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA draft scored a combined 25 points, nine rebounds and seven assists across two preseason games.

Bueckers contributed 10 points and four rebounds during the Wings’ 78-112 loss to the Aces on May 3. She also put up 15 points, five rebounds and six assists as the Wings defeated Toyota Antelopes 192-78 in Japan on Saturday.

Paige Bueckers speaks out on media disparities and the concept of white privilege

WNBA rookie and former UConn star Paige Bueckers spoke out on racial disparities in sports media coverage. In a Time magazine interview released on May 5, Bueckers expressed her concerns that Black women athletes were not adequately covered in sports media.

“It’s still an issue, every single day,” Bueckers said, referring to the ongoing lack of equal media coverage for Black women. Now beginning her professional career with the Dallas Wings, the rookie remained outspoken about the inequalities she has seen in the sports world.

Bueckers acknowledged that while she has worked hard and was grateful for her success, she was also aware of how her identity as a White woman contributed to greater visibility and marketing opportunities.

“There’s white privilege every single day that I see,” Bueckers said. “I feel like even just in marketability, people tend to favor White people, White males, White women. I think it should be an equal opportunity.”

She said that her goal is to use her privilege responsibly, saying that she felt that there was a privilege to do what she could to change the narrative. As Bueckers transitions into the WNBA, she sees herself positioned to be an advocate for equity in sports.