Paige Bueckers spent years competing against many of her current USA Basketball teammates at the youth level. On Monday, she got her first taste of what it looks like when all that familiarity points in the same direction.
Bueckers spoke with reporters after USA Basketball’s first practice on site ahead of the FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament, which opens Wednesday against Senegal. She is among four players making their senior national team debut on this roster, joining Caitlin Clark, Rhyne Howard, and Kiki Iriafen.
The three of them have a history together. Bueckers, Clark, and Howard won gold at the 2019 FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup in Bangkok, going 7-0 with a 74-70 overtime victory over Australia in the final. Bueckers was named tournament MVP after averaging 11.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game. Howard led the team in scoring at 13.1 points per game. Clark came off the bench as one of the youngest players on the roster.
Seven years later, all three are back together on the senior stage, joined by veterans like Chelsea Gray, Kahleah Copper, and Kelsey Plum under first-year head coach Kara Lawson.
“Yeah, it’s really fun. Just to see our journeys and where we were when we were younger, when we were still playing for the Junior Olympic teams competing with each other, and then growing up competing against each other, and to be here now,” Bueckers said.
She said arriving at the senior level after that shared history made the moment feel earned.
“Life can go a lot of different ways, so for us to continue to grind, work hard, and just be here at this point in life is really rewarding,” Bueckers said. “So to be here at the senior national team, have so many vets and experienced players on this team, but also like us young guys wanting to learn and be a sponge — it’s a great mix of people. We’re all just excited to be here.”
Unrivaled Chemistry Helps Paige Bueckers Hit the Ground Running
A number of players on the roster spent earlier this year competing against one another in Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 league that wrapped up before national team preparations began. Clark was among the notable absences from the league, but Bueckers said the relationships built there have carried over into camp.
“Yeah, it’s really like we built a great relationship at Unrivaled. I mean, you could see it when you watch — we were competitive, we were going at each other,” Bueckers said. “I think that’s the best way to show respect. So that just carries here, but now we’re on the same team, so it’s a lot more fun that way.”
The transition back to a full court also gave the group something to bond over. Several players noted that Unrivaled’s 3-on-3 format pushed them physically, which made the jump to a regulation floor an adjustment.
“We were talking about how three-on-three full court is extremely hard, and we feel like we’re in the best shape of our lives,” Bueckers said. “Then we come here, and the court is like so much bigger. So it was funny to go through that. There’s a lot of shared experiences in that way.”
Paige Bueckers on Sharing the Floor With Chelsea Gray
The guard depth on the USA roster runs from veterans like Gray to younger players, including Clark. Bueckers said the versatility of the group showed up immediately in practice, with Howard and Rae Burrell both logging time at the four.
“Yeah, I think the versatility. Even today we had Rhyne Howard and Rae Burrell playing the four. So being able to have different lineups — this team is really smart, a high basketball IQ group,” Bueckers said. “Most of us are learning one through four positions.”
Playing alongside Gray stood out to her specifically. Bueckers has spent the last year facing her as an opponent and said the dynamic feels different from the same side of the floor.
“I’ve grown up watching Chelsea Gray and been playing against her the past year,” Bueckers said. “I’m really glad to be on her team and in the same uniform this time.”
Without practice players available, the team ran competitive drills against itself on Monday. Bueckers said the fire the group brought into that setting has her looking forward to the day it’s directed at someone else.
“Just how competitive we are. Even today, we don’t have practice guys here, so we’re going against each other. The fire, the intensity and the passion that we have for the game — you can see it,” she said. “So today we’re competing against each other, but once we suit up and play on the same team and we’re going against somebody else, I think it’ll be very exciting.”
USA Basketball opens tournament play against Senegal on Wednesday at 3:45 p.m. CST on TruTV.