Fans reacted as Paige Bueckers shared a hearty courtside interaction with Kai Trump after a thrilling showdown between the Dallas Wings and the Indiana Fever on Friday. At American Airlines Center, many fans and VIPs gathered for a moment with Bueckers.
Kai, who's the oldest of US president Donald Trump's 10 grandchildren, was spotted waiting along with fans, Kyrie Irving and his daughter. A video posted on X showed them shaking hands and posing for pictures. Pistons star Cade Cunningham was also spotted with his daughter, Riley.
While that’s not much to write home about, it’s worth noting that Kai Trump is a big fan of Paige Bueckers, who has expressed her support for the 2025 No. 1 draft pick multiple times on social media.
Their exchange garnered attention, and WNBA fans reacted to the clips on X. Some were perplexed over Paige Bueckers’ political stance, while others suggested that the Wings star didn’t even know who Kai Trump was.
One fan said:
"Paige being friendly with the Trump family?!"
Another commented:
“Kai Trump should have stayed far away from that Dallas Wings game. If she really liked Paige she would have liked her from a far. ESPECIALLY right now. Now Paige is going to get scrutinized for associating with someone she doesn’t even share the same beliefs with.”
Some fans compared it to Caitlin Clark, suggesting that if it had been the Fever star, the talk and scrutiny on the internet would have been different. One wrote:
“No one's mad cause it simply is not Caitlin Clark. The double standard of these whackass WNBA fans”
Another wrote:
“Hanging out with kai trump is crazy but all the fake activists gonna ignore this 😭😭"
One commented:
“If this was Caitlin there would be 50 million think pieces online about it but because its Paige everyone is conveniently quiet."
Another said:
“In all realness she might not know who it is, or just got walked right into meeting her by the staff (stupid on their part) and was professional. idk can’t really hold it against her”
One suggested:
"To be fair, Kai Trump can't control what her dad and grandpa do. She's 18. Although if it was Caitlin we'd never hear the end of it regardless. We have to keep in mind that this is a business as well. To cherry-pick who to interact with re fans would look bad."
Another fan remarked:
“Yall want to find anything to drag her down💀knowing good and damn well that she was just being nice. If she didn’t acknowledge her y'all would’ve had sh*t to say then too.”
It's not the first time Kai Trump has showcased her support for Bueckers. She was seen cheering for Paige Bueckers at the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament Final Four game between UConn and UCLA earlier this year.
Kai also posted it as a vlog on her YouTube channel, calling it an "unforgettable weekend."
Paige Bueckers scores team-high in WNBA matchup defeat against Caitlin Clark's Fever
Paige Bueckers scored a team-high 27 points, but the Wings slipped to a 94-86 defeat to the Fever.
Caitlin Clark was on the sidelines due to a groin injury, which spoiled what was supposed to be the first meeting between the two most recent No. 1 picks in the WNBA draft.
The next matchup between the two stars will be at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on July 13.