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CHICAGO — Just six games into her professional career, No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers is still learning and getting used to the routine of her new WNBA life. She has more media to do, and she has to adapt to new teammates, new coaches and a brand new hometown. But one place she’s always been comfortable is on the court.
After a slow start on Thursday night, Bueckers scored 15 points and had 8 assists in the Wings’ tight 97-92 loss to the Sky. The end of the game resembled a boxing match, with the two teams trading leads and big shots until a key rebound from Chicago’s Kamilla Cardoso helped seal the Sky’s first win of the season.
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It’s the kind of game the Wings will want to learn from. The two teams will face off again on Saturday in Texas.
“The good thing is, we get to see them again very quickly. So now we get to see how we can watch and what adjustments that we can make, and see how we can respond, right?” Wings coach Chris Koclanes said after the game. “We did a lot of good things. Thought we did enough things to win that game. It doesn’t feel great, but still lots of positive moments that we can really build on.”
Paige Bueckers is learning to adapt to the WNBA, just as Angel Reese has had to do with the Sky. (Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Growing and figuring out their identity is the early goal for the Wings, and especially for Bueckers. After a 9-31 record in 2024, experienced WNBA veteran Curt Miller was brought in as the team’s GM, and Koclanes was hired as head coach. When the team landed the top pick in the 2025 draft, there wasn’t much of a question of whom they would select.
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Bueckers led UConn to the NCAA championship on April 6. She was drafted on April 14 and started training camp just a few weeks later. She’s still learning from her teammates, and they’re learning her.
“Every time we practice, every time we play, and then with our language and our offensive intentions and spacing on the floor, every opportunity she has to go out there, she’s just continuing to get more and more comfortable when she’s in the same shapes and the floor looks the same,” said Koclanes. “Now, you know, those reads are even quicker and better, and she’s just able to do what she does. She’ll continue to just get even smoother and more confident, more comfortable, as we continue to play games.”
A basketball season is linear, with the next game the most important game. The condensed, 44-game WNBA season is relentless, and Bueckers is learning how to get better on the fly.
“I reflect and learn and grow from it, but really I’m just focused on moving my foot forward one at a time. How do I get better every single day, trying to be the best teammate, best leader, and just contribute to winning in any way possible, whatever that looks like on any given night, it might be different,” Bueckers said. “So just trying to keep my head down, keep working, and as a group, we’re all trying to learn to get better. There’s so many areas to grow, but we’re just hungry and we want to get better, and we want to win.”
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Bueckers’ short WNBA career has shown constant improvement. She scored 10 points in her debut, and nearly doubled it with 19 in the next game. She had her first double-double in her third game with 12 points and 10 rebounds, a loss to Minnesota. In the Wings’ first win of the season, a 109-87 win over the Sun on Sunday, Bueckers scored 21.
She said she’s always looking for those areas to improve.
“Every game calls for something different, and I take pride in being prepared for anything that’s gonna be thrown at you,” Bueckers said. “Just playing the possession and trying to learn to grow from game to game and what areas we can be better at.”
Of course, being a professional basketball player is about more than what happens on the court, and Bueckers’ outstanding collegiate play earned her fans in every WNBA city. Chicago was no different.
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Dozens of fans at Wintrust Arena were wearing shirts and jerseys with her name on them. One held up a pink American flag with Bueckers’ likeness on it. She attracted a growing horde of media during pregame, and after the game, hundreds of fans waited near the Wings’ bus to greet the team. It’s a lot of pressure for anyone, especially a 23-year-old less than two months removed from college. But remembering where she came from is important to Bueckers.
“I feel like I’ve been blessed with so much, and I want to give back what’s been given. It’s just so much better to share things with others than to just take it up all by yourself,” Bueckers said. “I was the little girl once in the stands, just looking up to all my idols, so I’m trying to be a great role model and get to as many people as possible and help this world become a better place with the best platform God has given me, the platform basketball has given me.”
