Turning the Paige: Analyzing Bueckers' fit with Wings

Paige Bueckers is taking her talents to the Lone Star State this upcoming WNBA season after being selected No. 1 overall by the Dallas Wings.

Bueckers won virtually every major individual award and set numerous UConn records before capping her collegiate career with a national title earlier in April.

Can Bueckers have a similar impact on the Wings as Caitlin Clark did a year ago for the Indiana Fever?

Here's what to expect from the Huskies star at the next level.

Efficient scorer

Bueckers will undoubtedly bolster a Wings offense that finished sixth in offensive efficiency (102.1 points per 100 possessions), tied for seventh in 3-point percentage (32.6%), and ranked ninth in mid-range field-goal percentage (35.4%).

One of Bueckers' greatest strengths is her efficiency year in and year out. The All-American guard is a three-level scorer who made 42.3% of her threes, 49.9% of her mid-range attempts, and 77.6% of her attempts at the rim over four seasons in Storrs. She had an 88.9% clip from the charity stripe this past season, leaving her just shy of joining the exclusive 50-40-90 club.

Bueckers shot over 50% from the field overall in each of her collegiate campaigns. Her 1.17 points per possession this season was the highest among those with over 16 possessions per contest and at least 25 appearances, according to Synergy Basketball.

Bueckers can single-handedly take over a game with her scoring, whether pulling up off a ball screen, creating separation with step-backs, or finishing floaters in the lane. A threat on and off the ball, she shines as a cutter and movement shooter. Bueckers shouldered the offensive load for an injury-depleted UConn roster throughout its 2024 Final Four run. She also took charge at various points of this year's postseason - including a career-high 40 points in the Sweet 16 versus Oklahoma - to help the Huskies end their nine-year title drought.

But that isn't Bueckers' preferred style of play. She's calculated in her offensive approach and makes the most of her scoring opportunities. Dallas doesn't need Bueckers to immediately take on the lion's share of the scoring with Arike Ogunbowale in the fold. Bueckers can initially defer to the four-time All-Star and still pick her spots to attack as she grows more comfortable.

"I expect a similar efficiency at the pro level," WNBA color commentator Rebecca Lobo told reporters, including theScore, during ESPN's pre-draft media call. "I actually think it will be good if her efficiency is down a little bit because that means she's hunting shots more. … But she's a special talent who can just get where she wants to get, and once she gets there, hit her shots at a ridiculously high efficiency."

Sound decision-maker

Dallas has been searching for a dynamic point guard since Skylar Diggins-Smith left the organization in 2020. Last season, the Wings relied on Ogunbowale and ex-Wings forward Satou Sabally as their primary facilitators, while departed guards Jacy Sheldon and Sevgi Uzun provided little production at the point. Bueckers gives the franchise a more natural playmaker and allows Ogunbowale to play off the ball at the two.

Bueckers averaged 4.6 assists during her time at UConn, including a Big East-leading 5.8 dimes per contest in 2020-21 as a freshman. The former Wooden Award winner posted a top-10 assist percentage in the conference on three occasions. Known for her ball security, Bueckers also posted an impressive assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.52 this past season, ranking second among her peers.

Bueckers' scoring ability creates constant pressure on defenses, opening up opportunities for her teammates. The Minnesota native excels at involving others through drive-and-kick plays or dump-offs, using her scoring gravity to create open looks. Whether it's hitting a roller or finding an open shooter on the perimeter, she'll make the correct read more often than not. UConn had great success in a limited sample when Bueckers ran the pick-and-roll, and it's something Dallas may tap into more.

Bueckers' passing is an additional weapon in transition, as she delivers feeds in stride to rim-runners, seeks out open shooters upcourt, and is decisive when her team has the numbers. The Wings played at the fastest pace and were fourth in fast-break points (10.9) last season. New head coach Chris Koclanes could tailor to one of Bueckers' strong suits and maintain an up-tempo brand of play.

Impact defender

It's no secret that Dallas needs to get a lot better defensively. The Wings allowed a league-worst 117.7 points per 100 possessions - four more points than the next closest team - and finished last in mid-range defense (39.5%) and 3-point defense (36.5%).

The front office addressed the glaring weakness in the offseason by hiring Koclanes - a defensive-minded coach - and acquiring WNBA All-Defensive first-team selection DiJonai Carrington.

Bueckers' addition is another step in the right direction. The 23-year-old averaged at least two steals and placed in the top five nationally for defensive win shares in three of four seasons with the Huskies. She posted a career-high 4.1% steal percentage in 2024-25 to go along with the 10th-best defensive rating in the NCAA (75.2).

Additionally, Bueckers constantly made defensive plays without fouling. The three-time Big East Player of the Year has the ability to anticipate what other teams are running, which allows her to frequently blow up plays. She regularly gets her hands in passing lanes to create deflections and force turnovers. Bueckers fights through screens, dives for loose balls, hustles back in transition, and uses her quickness to stay one step ahead of her opponent. That extra effort alongside Carrington will give the Wings a solid defensive tandem on the perimeter.

Bueckers also has the flexibility to be deployed against forwards. As a junior, she served as the Huskies' de facto power forward with several players sidelined. Bueckers thrived as a paint defender, averaging a career-high 1.4 blocks and finishing second in the conference with 53 swats during the 2023-24 campaign. She tallied multiple rejections in 15 contests that season, including a pair of five-block games. Bueckers was an effective weakside help defender and a vocal leader on the backline, and she used her length to contest shots.

Winner's mentality

Curt Miller knew exactly how he wanted to build Dallas when the club hired him last November as executive vice president and general manager. The former Executive of the Year went into his first offseason with the organization seeking players with a winning pedigree at either the collegiate or pro level.

Miller accomplished that goal with his first major move, acquiring Carrington, Ty Harris, and NaLyssa Smith in a four-team trade with the Connecticut Sun, Indiana Fever, and Phoenix Mercury. Carrington went to the Final Four with Stanford and has been to the WNBA semifinals or finals in each of her four seasons in the league. Harris won an NCAA championship with South Carolina and started alongside Carrington in the Sun's backcourt during last year's semifinal run. Smith was part of Baylor's 2019 national title squad and made an Elite Eight appearance two years later.

Bueckers is a perfect fit for the culture Miller is trying to establish. With Bueckers in the lineup, UConn went 110-13 - including three undefeated Big East campaigns - and reached the Final Four every season she was healthy.

"Winners are important to us. … I think it resonates with all of us GMs that we value winning." Miller told reporters, including theScore, during a pre-WNBA draft availability. "We want to add winning and competitiveness to all our locker rooms."