Paige Bueckers reveals true feelings on Kyrie Irving's heartfelt gesture during blockbuster Fever game: "Surreal"

Before the season started, Paige Bueckers reportedly said that she wanted Kyrie Irving, her favorite player, to attend a Dallas Wings game. On Friday, the NBA superstar went to the American Airlines Arena to watch Bueckers and Co. take on the Caitlin Clark-less Indiana Fever.

After the game, Bueckers and Irving shared a hug near mid-court.

In the postgame conference, Bueckers touched on what that moment meant to her:

“It was pretty surreal that somebody who I looked up to and has been my favorite player since I was really, really young showed up to come out and support us, support women’s basketball. … He’s been like a big brother figure to me.”

With her favorite player sitting courtside to support her, Paige Bueckers put on a show. The No. 1 pick in this year’s WNBA draft dazzled with her scoring and playmaking skills. She finished the game with a team-high 27 points, six assists, two steals and two blocks. Bueckers shot 9-for-18, including 2-for-3 from deep.

Although the highly-anticipated first showdown between Bueckers and Caitlin Clark in the pros did not materialize, the rookie helped fans get their money’s worth. Bueckers ran the offense well after a slow start and controlled the tempo as the game wore on. Kyrie Irving stood up when the Wings tied the game at 82-82 in the fourth quarter after a Bueckers’ pass led to a bucket.

The Wings lost 94-86 despite Paige Bueckers' masterclass. Meeting Irving made up for some of the disappointment.

---

Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham met Kyrie Irving and Paige Bueckers postgame

Kyrie Irving and Paige Bueckers met fans and signed autographs inside the American Airlines Center after the Wings-Fever game. Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham surprised the fans by joining them. Cunningham brought his daughter and took a picture of his little girl with the Dallas Mavericks superstar. The Pistons’ franchise cornerstone also shared a hug with Bueckers, who was busy signing Wings merchandise.

As The Dallas Morning News Mavericks beat writer Mike Curtis pointed out, the meeting featured three No. 1 draft picks:

Kyrie Irving was the first name called in the 2011 NBA draft. The Cleveland Cavaliers took the mercurial point guard out of Duke to rebuild the franchise after LeBron James took his talents to South Beach.

Cade Cunningham went No. 1 in 2021. After a one-and-done state at Oklahoma State, the Detroit Pistons made him their franchise backbone.

Four years after Cunningham’s draft, Paige Bueckers entered the WNBA as the Dallas Wings’ No. 1 pick.