- Indiana Fever. Paige Buckers arrives to change Dallas Wings franchise history and shake up power sharing with Caitlin Clark in WNBA
- WNBA. Paige Bueckers legs tremble from vertigo atop the Empire State during WNBA Draft moment
Paige Bueckers is riding high right now-and honestly, it feels like she's just getting started. Ever since her UConn days, the spotlight's been locked on her, and with her move to the WNBA, expectations are sky-high. Dallas just got themselves a star with fresh wings, and fans are already buzzing.
But when the cameras are always rolling, every little move can turn into a big headline. And during the WNBA Draft-the night everyone had been waiting for-Paige made waves with a split-second gesture that didn't sit well with everyone. A playful push to a staff membe set off a flurry of hot takes.
Even on draft night, all eyes were on Paige
If you know Paige, you know she's got a quirky sense of humor and loves to joke around. That's just her. But for people seeing her through a draft-night lens for the first time, the playful nudge came off as rude. Some folks jumped to conclusions, acting like her rising status somehow went to her head.
Of course, it is a big deal becoming the WNBA's number one pick, that doesn't happen every day. And yes, she's heading to Dallas with fans ready to roll out the red carpet. But here's what her UConn teammates will tell you: Paige is 100% herself, all the time. She's been described as "childish," "annoying at times," but also deeply reliable and laser-focused on winning. That push was a classic Paige-maybe a little awkward, maybe a little goofy, but never mean-spirited.
A whole lot of Paige energy
Fans who really follow her were quick to defend the moment. Many said it looked like a bundle of nerves and excitement all rolled into one. They saw it as a quirky way of coping with the pressure-something that, if you've ever been in a high-stakes moment, you can totally relate to. Paige wasn't out to disrespect anyone-if anything, it was her way of staying grounded in a surreal moment.
And look, in an era where every move can be turned into a meme or controversy, maybe we need to cut players some slack-especially the ones who haven't changed just because the stage got bigger. Paige is still the same kid who dances during warmups and cracks jokes during interviews. If anything, that push was a reminder: she's not here to fit into anyone's mold. She's just here to hoop, and she'll do it her way-quirks and all.
So, if the biggest scandal of draft night is a goofy little shove from a player who's about to light up the WNBA, we'd say the league's in pretty good hands.