Paige Bueckers melts former coach’s heart with touching gesture

In the middle of Paige Bueckers and the University of Connecticut's NCAA championship run, sports performance assistant and sports scientist Ruth Wang signed an agreement to join the Phoenix Mercury. She parted ways with the team before the Final Four and missed UConn's 82-59 win over South Carolina in the March Madness 2025 final.

On Wednesday, Wang shared an Instagram post that featured the card Bueckers sent her with a piece of the Huskies' championship net, along with a picture of herself with the 2025 WNBA draft top pick.

"Thank you so much, my dear Per! This is the best card I’ve ever received—it means a lot to me. Let’s Keep fighting for God and doing good! Miss you, love you! God did!"

WNBA page - ESPNW - re-shared a quote from Ruth Wang following the gesture:

"[Paige Bueckers] sent me a piece of the net - when I got it, I couldn't hold back my tears. It meant so much to me."

The two will have a chance to reunite on Wednesday at PHX Arena, when the Paige Bueckers-led Dallas Wings face off against the Mercury at 10 p.m. ET.

This will mark the first of four regular-season meetings between these two teams, with the Phoenix Mercury hosting the Wings again on Jul. 7.

Looking at the latest surrounding Paige Bueckers after clearing concussion protocol

After winning a national title with UConn, Paige Bueckers jumped right into the 2025 WNBA season with the Dallas Wings.

Just six games into the regular season, however, Bueckers wound up sustaining a concussion in the Wings' 97-92 loss to the Chicago Sky on May 29. That wasn't all the No. 1 pick had to deal with, however. In addition to a concussion, Bueckers wound up coming down with an illness that ended up delaying her return.

While she cleared concussion protocols, because of the illness, she ended up missing four games.

Now, with the team missing both Teaira McCowan and Luisa Geiselsöder because of EuroBasket - and Tyasha Harris expected to miss the remainder of the season - Dallas will be getting Paige Bueckers back at a time when the team needs her most.

Currently, the Wings are last in the WNBA's power rankings with a record of 1-9 ahead of Wednesday's clash with the Mercury.

With three games over the next seven days, Bueckers will look to help Dallas turn things around.

About the author

Evan Bell is a journalist specializing in the NBA and NHL at Sportskeeda, whose love for the game stems from a childhood spent watching the Chicago Bulls. He has been there through their highs and lows, from the Jordan era to the exciting Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah years.

Evan finds the 82-game season and the intensity of playoff basketball exhilarating, and he also revels in the offseason drama. Phil Jackson stands out as his favorite coach, whom he admires for his composed leadership and success in managing dynamic personalities like Dennis Rodman.

To deliver top-quality content, Evan fact-checks information while diligently keeping up with the action year-round.

When he's not writing, Evan follows tennis and Greek football, and also plays basketball and tennis.

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Edited by William Paul