"She just looks cool" - Dwyane Wade raves about Paige Bueckers' meteoric rise from humble beginnings

Dwyane Wade was raving over Paige Bueckers during Tuesday’s episode of his “Time Out” podcast. Bueckers is coming off a stellar rookie season, winning the Rookie of the Year award after averaging 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 36 games for the Dallas Wings.

The NBA legend has been a longtime fan of Bueckers, closely watching her progress through the years. From her humble beginnings in Minnesota, where Bueckers played youth basketball for her father’s team, to becoming a national sensation, she has come a long way.

Speaking on Tuesday, Dwyane Wade praised Bueckers, acknowledging how “cool” he finds her while expressing his appreciation for her game.

“She’s winning in life right now in front of the whole world,” Wade said. “I’m just a fan, I don’t know Paige Bueckers. She just looks cool to me bro, like I want to be her friend.” (Timestamp: 37:00).

He continued, highlighting how her successful rookie campaign is just the start for Bueckers.

“Rookie of the Year is just the beginning of her pro career,” Wade continued. "The way she plays the game, it’s seamless, it’s effortless. I can’t wait to continue to watch the journey.”

Dwyane Wade links Caitlin Clark’s rise to Paige Bueckers’ college setbacks

Speaking on his podcast in August, Dwyane Wade attributed Caitlin Clark’s rise to Paige Bueckers’ injuries in college. Wade touched on how Bueckers’ ACL injury allowed Clark to take the spotlight.

"The ACL injury in college opened up the window for Caitlin Clark,” Wade said. "Now, Caitlin has always been a good player, but she wasn’t known. Paige had these injuries, and then Caitlin had these amazing two years in college.”

While Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes took center stage, Bueckers still enjoyed much success in college, leading the Connecticut Huskies to the NCAA championship last season.

Both Clark and Bueckers are enjoying unprecedented success, but it is worth considering what the women’s basketball landscape would look like if the Huskies' star had avoided her injuries in college.

After finishing 2025 with the worst season in the league (10-34), Bueckers and the Wings will look to take the next step in her sophomore season.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by Sameer Khan