Paige Bueckers reveals her favorite NBA player is a one-time NBA champion

The 2025 NCAA champion and No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft is officially a Dallas Wing—and she’s thrilled to share a city with her longtime favorite NBA player: Kyrie Irving.

“He’s been my favorite player forever now,” Bueckers said during her rookie press conference. “I’m super excited to be in the same city as him. Hope I can learn a lot from him.”

Irving, who famously won a title alongside LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers, now stars for the Dallas Mavericks, just down the road from Bueckers' new home court.

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The connection runs deeper than just basketball admiration. Both players are navigating careers shaped by major ACL injuries. “I know he’s going through an ACL journey himself,” Bueckers added. “So to be able to lean on and support each other through that—I think is something that can be motivating.”

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After tearing her ACL in August 2022, Bueckers made a triumphant return to college hoops in November 2023, leading UConn to a national championship this year before being selected first overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft.

Now, she’s bringing that same resilience and star power to Dallas.