Paige Bueckers, the Wings’ No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, is thrilled to join the Dallas team, a city which her favorite NBA player, Kyrie Irving, calls home. During her introductory press conference, she expressed her admiration for Irving, stating, “He’s been my favorite player for forever now. Super excited to be in the same city as him. Hope I can learn a lot from him.”

Irving, who is recovering from a torn ACL, has also reached out to her to congratulate her on being drafted, expressing joy that she would be “right down the street.”

Bueckers aims to provide support to Irving due to their shared experiences of undergoing ACL surgeries. She stated, “I know he is going through an ACL journey himself, so to be able to lean on and support each other through that, I think it’s something that can be motivating.”

The Wings are optimistic about the upcoming season as they sold out their season tickets six months prior.