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The 2025 WNBA draft's top overall rookie pick, Paige Bueckers, is looking forward to facing off with reigning WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces on Friday. She praised the league superstar ahead of their showdown.
Following practice on Thursday, the Dallas Wings guard was asked for her thoughts on facing Wilson for the first time and had only good words to say.
"She's one best the players in the league. MVP. She's just so skilled and she has a great work ethic. Yeah, she's a problem," Bueckers said.
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Wilson is coming off another stellar campaign, where she won her third league MVP award. She averaged a career-high 26.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 2.6 blocks in 38 games while leading the Aces to a semifinal finish.
For her part, Paige Bueckers will be making her game debut in a Wings uniform after winning the NCAA Tournament championship with the UConn Huskies, earlier in April.
Meanwhile, the preseason game between the Wings and Aces is set to be played at the Purcell Pavilion at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.
Paige Bueckers excited to be part of Dallas Wings in their rebuild
Paige Bueckers knows she is in a great position to make an instant impact in her rookie season and is excited to be part of the Dallas Wings' rebuild.
One of the cornerstones of what is being touted as a new era in Wings basketball, the former UConn standout said she will try everything she can to help Dallas in the upcoming WNBA season.
"There is a lot of new in this organization, so to be part of something where we can build with each other and create a new sisterhood, we're really excited," Bueckers said during the Wings' rookies' introductory news conference.
Following last season, where they finished 11th with a 9-31 record, the Wings moved to restructure their roster through various deals in the offseason.
Among the players they acquired were veterans DiJonai Carrington, NaLyssa Smith, Tyasha Hariis and Myisha Hines-Allen.
They then drafted a host of rookie players in the WNBA Draft, led by Paige Bueckers. She was joined by Aziaha James of North Carolina State (No. 12), Madison Scott of Ole Miss (No. 14), JJ Quinerly of West Virginia (No. 27), and Aaronette Vonleh of Baylor (No. 31).
Dallas is hoping that, along with holdovers Arike Ogunbowale, Maddie Siegrist and Teira McCowan, it can make significant headway in returning to steady competitiveness.
The Wings will play two preseason games on May 2 and May 10 before starting their WNBA regular season campaign at home on May 16 against the Minnesota Lynx.
