Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers added another milestone to her historic rookie season Friday when she was named to the league’s Second Team, becoming the only first-year player selected to either squad. The honor extends a debut campaign in which she also earned Rookie of the Year, AP Rookie of the Year, All-Rookie recognition, and started the All-Star Game.
Bueckers averaged 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.6 steals across 36 games while shooting 47.7 percent from the field. She finished top-nine in scoring, assists, and steals leaguewide and led all guards in efficiency at 20.3. She also set franchise rookie records in scoring, assists, and overall productivity, highlighted by her 44-point performance against Los Angeles in August.
Her rise has quickly become central to how the Wings are viewed around the league — and how they are preparing for the next stage of their rebuild.
Paige Bueckers as a Recruiting Magnet
During Sunday’s draft-lottery press conference, general manager Curt Miller said Bueckers has already altered how players perceive Dallas as a destination.
“Teams in recent years have been built through the draft, and when they’re built through the draft, other players want to play with great players,” Miller said. “Paige is a magnet. People want to play with great players.”
That belief extends far beyond the optimism of draft night. Miller has previously explained that Bueckers has emerged as a centerpiece not only on the court but also in shaping the franchise’s culture.
“Paige will be a unifier, someone players want to play with,” Miller told DallasHoopsJournal.com in July. “Our young core will make us attractive, too. Players will see these young, great teammates and think, ‘That’s our second unit, I want to be a part of that.’”
According to Miller, Bueckers has embraced a recruiting role sooner than expected.
“Paige wants to be involved in recruiting players to Dallas,” he said. “Arike also initiates free agency conversations with me. It’s exciting that your two best players consistently want to talk future. She’ll pick up the phone and call me—‘What about so-and-so?’ … Since the All-Star break, you see the way she and Paige communicate. You can hear them speaking the same language.”
Miller views that type of buy-in — from both Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale — as something rare in the WNBA, and a defining piece of how Dallas intends to build its next contender.
A Rising Star on Multiple Platforms
Bueckers’ profile is also expanding outside the WNBA. She is set to make her Unrivaled debut in 2026 after signing a three-year contract and taking an equity stake in the league. She will play for Breeze BC alongside Cameron Brink, Rickea Jackson, Dominique Malonga, Aari McDonald, and Kate Martin.
Her involvement aligns her with one of the most player-driven basketball ventures in the sport, and positions her as both an on-court star and a front-facing recruiter in a league built around empowerment and NIL-style partnerships.
The Wings believe that visibility — combined with her production, her leadership and the team’s growing infrastructure — strengthens their long-term pitch. Dallas will move into a new $55 million practice facility in 2026, has substantial cap flexibility coming in 2026 free agency, and now holds the No. 1 pick in a draft with no consensus top selection.
For the organization, Bueckers is emerging as the type of cornerstone who accelerates every phase of a rebuild. Her rookie season delivered star-caliber play and quickly evolved into something larger: a franchise identity shift built around culture, connectivity, and an unusually influential young guard.
As Miller put it, Dallas’ future isn’t just about what Bueckers can do — it’s about who wants to follow her there.