Wings fans saw a glimmer of hope when the team traded for DiJonai Carrington and NaLyssa Smith in the offseason and drafted Paige Bueckers with the number one pick. Bueckers entered the league ready to contribute right away and stake her claim as a generational talent. A backcourt of her and Arike Ogunbowale promised a lot of scoring and plenty of exciting shots.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Carrington, the 2024 Most Improved Player and All-Defensive First Team member, seemed like a great fit next to the two. The vision was that she would provide a veteran presence, experience of competing at the highest level, and lockdown defense. On the court, things didn\u2019t work out, and the Wings eventually traded Carrington to the Minnesota Lynx<\/a> for Karlie Samuelson, Diamond Miller, and a 2027 second-round pick.\u00a0<\/p>\n Off the court, things looked quite different. Carrington and Bueckers quickly built great chemistry and friendship that they frequently described as a \u201cbig sister-little sister\u201d dynamic. The trade broke up the duo, but didn\u2019t keep Carrington and Bueckers from treating fans to hilarious social media interactions. This offseason, Wings fans could see a reunion. Carrington and Bueckers will both play in Unrivaled. Even if they don\u2019t find themselves on the same team, they will both be in Miami.\u00a0<\/p>\n Paige Bueckers was one of Unrivaled\u2019s big additions for season two<\/p>\n DiJonai Carrington will play in her second Unrivaled season this winter. She missed the WNBA semifinals with a mid-foot sprain, but there haven\u2019t been any rumblings about her missing Unrivaled yet. Last season, Carrington played on Mist BC with Breanna Stewart, Rickea Jackson, Jewell Loyd, Courtney Vandersloot, and Aaliyah Edwards.\u00a0<\/p>\n Bueckers, meanwhile, is part of an exciting new group of Unrivaled players. The 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year headlines a group of youngsters joining the league that also features Saniya Rivers, Sonia Citron, and Kiki Iriafen. Veterans Dana Evans, Kelsey Plum, Li Yueru, Maddy Siegrist, Rachel Banham, Ezi Magbegor, Sug Sutton, Naz Hillmon, Kelsey Mitchell, Monique Billings, Veronica Burton, Azur\u00e1 Stevens, and Erica Wheeler will also make their Unrivaled debuts.\u00a0<\/p>\n Seeing Bueckers join the league was no surprise. She had already signed an NIL deal with Unrivaled during her final college season. Still, the addition came at the perfect time. Unrivaled still hasn\u2019t had any luck signing Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese won\u2019t be playing this upcoming season, so Bueckers provides an important influx of young star power.\u00a0<\/p>\n