Paige Bueckers Had One Word After Dallas Wings Trade

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Parker Johnson | Last updated Jul 1, 2025 8:37 AM ET

The Dallas Wings pulled off a big trade on Monday, sending former No. 2 overall pick NaLyssa Smith to the Las Vegas Aces for a 2027 first-round draft pick.

Smith started 15 games for the Wings, averaging 6.7 points and 4.9 rebounds during the team's 5-13 start to the 2025 season.

Dallas acquired Smith from the Indiana Fever in the offseason and then signed her girlfriend, DiJonai Carrington, who was heartbroken when she learned about the trade.

When the unexpected move was announced, 2025 WNBA All-Star starter Paige Bueckers was out doing some team bonding with several Wings teammates on their off day.

"Good off day vibes," Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale wrote on her Instagram story with a photo of a group of Dallas players at Six Flags Over Texas.

Wings veteran Ogunbowale was joined by rookies Bueckers, Maddy Siegrist, Tyasha Harris and JJ Quinerly. Centers Teaira McCowan and Li Yueru were also there, while neither Carrington nor Smith were in the photo.

six flags is about to fix everything pic.twitter.com/WMG2l59nAj
— courtney (@bucketsnbooks) July 1, 2025

Bueckers, who recently updated her profile to represent the Wings instead of UConn, reposted the photo on her Instagram story.

In the bottom corner, she wrote "gang" to describe the tight-knit group — a public show of unity just a few hours after the trade on Monday.

Bueckers was the only rookie named as a WNBA All-Star starter this season. She finished No. 1 among all WNBA guards in weighted voting, ahead of All-Star captain Caitlin Clark, who earned the most fan votes.

The Wings' next game is on Thursday against the Phoenix Mercury at 8 p.m. ET. They will host Smith and the Aces on July 16 in their final game before the All-Star break.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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