DiJonai Carrington expresses pride as Paige Bueckers, Wings rookies embrace the grind

Paige Bueckers and the rest of the Dallas Wings rookies are getting used to the grind of the WNBA already, much to the delight of reigning MIP DiJonai Carrington. Carrington was acquired from the Connecticut Sun in the offseason.

Carrington shared a short reel on Instagram featuring the Wings' rookies, including Bueckers, getting worked on by trainers ahead of the second day of training camp.

"All the rookies gettin' treatment earlyyyyy! So proud," Carrington wrote.

DiJonai Carrington shared this on her Instagram stories. (Photo: @dijonai on IG)

DiJonai Carrington is coming off the best season of her career. She earned a starting spot and turned into one of the best two-way players in the WNBA. She won the Most Improved Player of the Year award, but the Connecticut Sun decided to blow things up last offseason.

The Dallas Wings acquired Carrington as part of a blockbuster four-team deal with the Sun, Indiana Fever and Phoenix Mercury. They also got Tyasha Harris and NaLyssa Smith via trade.

However, the biggest move made by the franchise was picking Paige Bueckers first overall in the 2025 WNBA draft. Bueckers was fresh off leading the UConn Huskies to the NCAA championship. They also drafted Aziaha James (12th), Madison Scott (14th), JJ Quinerly (27th) and Aaronette Vonleh (31st).

There are 18 players on their current roster, so five will be cut ahead of the 2025 WNBA season.

Paige Bueckers ready to play point guard for the Dallas Wings

With Arike Ogunbowale occupying the shooting guard spot on the Dallas Wings, Paige Bueckers will likely be the team's starting point guard this season. Bueckers played point guard in high school and early in her college career, but thrived more as a scorer in her final year at UConn.

However, she is ready for the challenge under coach Chris Koclanes.

"I did some of that in college, I did more of it in high school," Bueckers said, according to Wings beat reporter Joey Mistretta. "But just leaning on the coaching staff for help and questions. Communicating with teammates. Having a great level of communication on the floor obviously helps a lot."

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The Wings are set to start their season on May 16 at home against the Minnesota Lynx.

About the author

Juan Paolo is a journalist for Sportskeeda who covers the NBA and WNBA. He's been writing about basketball since 2015 and has been with Sportskeeda since 2021.

Juan's allegiance lies with the Golden State Warriors and his journey with the Warriors began with their memorable victory over the Lakers in 2000, and he experienced the successes of the 'We Believe' era and the rise of Steph Curry.

What Juan loves most about basketball is its ability to evoke a range of emotions, from adrenaline-fueled excitement to the highs of victory and the lows of defeat. To ensure complete accuracy in articles, he conducts thorough research before writing his articles.

The Warriors' victories in the 2022 and 2017 championships hold a special place in Juan's memories, as well as iconic moments like Baron Davis' dunk over Andrei Kirilenko and Goran Dragic's performance in the 2010 Western Conference semifinals.

Off the court, Juan enjoys watching football, TV and movies, caring for his numerous cats, and cooking whenever time permits.

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Edited by Juan Paolo David