Standing alongside her fellow rookies, No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers placed a custom white cowboy hat atop her head, officially signaling the start of a new era for the Dallas Wings.
“There is a lot of new in this organization, so to be a part of something where we can build with each other and create a new sisterhood, we’re really excited,” Bueckers said at her introductory news conference on Wednesday. “And plus, we got these hats, the cowboy boots, we’re ready to invest all of ourselves into Dallas.”
During the draft lottery back in November, Dallas general manager Curt Miller was hoping not to get the fourth pick. He would have been fine with anywhere in the top three. So, he was relieved when he heard the Washington Mystics got No. 4. He was even more excited when they also got the third. He was prepared to have the second pick, but once it was announced that was going to the Los Angeles Sparks, his giddy emotions took over and he jumped around his former assistant coach’s office.
“The big picture is we knew what that meant, that we would have the opportunity to draft the No. 1 pick — Paige Bueckers,” Miller said.
“You don’t want to take anything for granted, or be entitled to anything, so you want to continue to stay motivated to work,” Bueckers said. “So being the first pick or the last pick, it didn’t matter to me. But we’re here now. We’re in Dallas and super excited for the future.”
After missing the playoffs last season, the Wings are under new leadership. That includes both Miller, who is in his first year as Dallas’ general manager after serving as a longtime coach and GM in the WNBA, and coach Chris Koclanes. And the team is looking to build a new identity centered on Bueckers.
Bueckers is coming off her final season with UConn where, in her career, she averaged 19.7 points per game on 52.8% shooting from the field, 41.2% from 3 and 88.5% from the free throw line, alongside 4.6 assists and 4.4 rebounds.
In addition to her scoring, her basketball IQ, maturity and leadership have been incredibly attractive to those around the WNBA.
The goal, Bueckers said, is “making Dallas a place everyone wants and everyone who is already here wants to stay. Just building that culture, building that foundation of enjoying being around each other, playing together, being together on and off the court.”
Putting Bueckers alongside Arike Ogunbowale, one of the WNBA’s top scorers, gives the Wings flexibility on how they want to shape their backcourt. Since Ogunbowale can play both point and shooting guard, Bueckers could play off the ball more, reducing the pressure she faces from defenses. But Bueckers wants to use her magnetic force to help Ogunbowale, as well.
“She’s electric, can score on all levels, just a bucket getter,” Bueckers said on her new teammate. “I’m looking to assist her a lot, space the floor, get her open looks. But I’m excited to be with everyone on this team. We’ve got some dogs. I’m excited to build that in camp — build the passion, build the excitement of a new system, a new coaching staff, a new team.”
This post was originally published on this site