Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers looks on during the second half against the Phoenix Mercury. Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Paige Bueckers earns praise from Dallas Wings teammate

Originally posted on Dallas Wings on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Sep 25, 2025 8:00 AM ET

Dallas Wings point guard Paige Bueckers is coming off of an impressive rookie campaign.

Bueckers, who turns 24 next month, won Rookie of the Year honors with the Wings after being the fifth-best scorer in the WNBA this season. Bueckers' teammate Arike Ogunbowale had a lot of positive things to say about Bueckers to Dallas Hoops Journal reporter Grant Afseth.

“Regardless of the record, she did exactly what she was supposed to do and then some,” Ogunbowale told Afseth.

“Having a great rookie season like that is hard, especially on a team that’s not really winning. She showed up every day, did the work, and like I said, she’s going to be great in this league for a long time. I’m super happy Dallas was able to draft her and just continue building with her.”

Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Bueckers, Ogunbowale growing in chemistry

Bueckers went through some bumps and bruises during her first WNBA season as the Wings finished with the league's worst record.

She spoke with Afseth about how Ogunbowale helped her throughout the season.

“We’ve grown a lot throughout the entire year, and we have a great relationship where we can talk to each other about anything and help each other be better,” Bueckers told Afseth.

“She’s a great vet to have. I’ve learned a lot from her. She’s been a great support system and embraced me, helping me be my most confident self. So to have these interactions together where we’re interacting with the community and building that way—it’s really fun.”

Bueckers is an incredible talent and she is one of the most gifted players in the WNBA. The way she can go from great to one of the league's best players on a successful team is if she can lean on her teammates more.

It's up to the front office to put the right players around Bueckers, but if she can follow through with getting them more involved, the Wings will be very successful as a team in the years to come.

This article first appeared on Dallas Wings on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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