Very few people can relate to Paige Bueckers and her rapid ascent through the basketball world, cruising to WNBA Rookie of the Year honors as the No. 1 overall pick while becoming arguably her sport’s most visible brand.
One of these select individuals would be Cooper Flagg, who himself accepted the NBA Rookie of the Year award Wednesday evening as the league’s most anticipated American-born prospect in a generation. And he happens to live just a few minutes down the road.
Bueckers, a former UConn women’s basketball star, and Flagg were both drafted by Dallas organizations in 2025, and the Mavericks star spoke with reporters Wednesday about their growing relationship after nearly a full year in Texas.
“She was the number one pick,” Flagg said about Bueckers. “She came in and had an incredible first year. So, I think just having that support, knowing that there’s somebody right down the street that went through a very similar thing, and just having her reach out and have that support is huge.”
The question was prompted by a recent Gatorade commercial that was released Monday evening, when Flagg was officially announced as the Rookie of the Year winner, and featured both players. In the short video, Bueckers delivers a short audio message to Flagg while the NBA player shoots in an empty gym.
“Yo, what’s up, Coop? Congrats on Rookie of the Year,” Bueckers says in the commercial. “Not bad for our first rodeo, right? Now, let’s see who gets that ring for Dallas first.”
Bueckers was drafted by the Dallas Wings with the No. 1 overall pick last April and began her WNBA career on a tear one month later, opening up a 30-game streak of double-digit scoring and securing a 35-point double-double by her fourth week of regular-season play. Meanwhile, the Mavericks selected Flagg first overall June 25, and he quickly showed his support for his new co-star in Dallas by attending a Wings game two days later.
Bueckers cruised to Rookie of the Year honors, winning 70 out of 72 possible first-place votes, averaging 19.2 points and over five assists per game. She later returned the favor by attending an early Mavericks regular-season game in November.
Flagg faced some stiffer competition from Kon Knueppel, narrowly beating his former Duke teammate 54-46 to win Rookie of the Year. The 6-foot-9 star averaged 21 points and 4.5 assists per game.