"Chill out with them tags now": Napheesa Collier teases Paige Bueckers for taking subtle shot at $202,000 star

Halfway through her rookie season, Paige Bueckers has made her presence felt in the WNBA. Though the Dallas Wings' top overall pick has proven to be fearless, one veteran has cautioned her to tread a bit more lightly on social media.

After making her All-Star debut this past weekend in Indianapolis, Bueckers went on Instagram to do a photo dump. In one image, the former UConn star is being guarded by her Team Collier running mate Kelsey Plum during a practice session. Perhaps to make a joke out of the image, Bueckers used the tag "too little," seemingly taunting Plum.

Notably, Bueckers' All-Star team captain Napheesa Collier gave the rookie a piece of advice in the comments section.

"Ight chill out with them tags now young blood," Collier commented.

Napheesa Collier advises Paige Bueckers to "chill out" with some IG tags. Credit: Bueckers/IG

From the looks of it, Collier has no qualms giving veteran advice to Bueckers, who was a high school freshman when Plum was drafted first overall by the San Antonio Stars in 2017. Collier went so far as to call Bueckers her "baby Husky" during the All-Star draft earlier this month.

For her part, Plum — who is on a one-year, $202,000-contract with the LA Sparks as per Spotrac — didn't appear to take Bueckers' tag too seriously. As a matter of fact, the former All-Star MVP did some teasing of her own in a comment that she posted.

"Lockeddddd," Plum wrote.

Kelsey Plum teases Paige Bueckers by saying that she was "locked" up in defense. Credit: Bueckers/IG

Though Bueckers and Plum appear to be in a joking mood in these IG posts, they'll be all business when the Wings and Sparks square off on August 15.

Paige Bueckers draws praise from Napheesa Collier: "She has been a talent from the very beginning"

Bueckers and Collier never got to play together at UConn, but in 2019, they teamed up at the inaugural ANOC World Beach Games held in Qatar.

Recalling this tournament during a media availability on All-Star weekend, Collier offered high praise for the 23-year-old rookie.

"I played with her when she was in high school, three-on-three for USA," Collier said of Bueckers. "She was the only high schooler we had...she has been a talent from the very beginning."

Collier added that she is trying to be as supportive as she can to Bueckers as the Wings star goes through the "whirlwind" of being a WNBA rookie.

Edited by Simoun Victor Redoblado