Paige Bueckers shares ‘wow’ differences between UConn and WNBA during her first Wings training camp

Former UConn star Paige Bueckers has officially started training camp with the Dallas Wings, and it didn’t take long for her to notice some of the differences between college basketball and the WNBA.

“Honestly, screens I got hit by. That would be the first, like, ‘Wow. Okay, this is different,'” she said told reporters on Sunday. “And obviously, the floor is a little strange, you’ve got defensive three seconds in the lane, offensive three seconds in the lane. So that’s a little bit different. And then the pace, and obviously the physicality of stuff they let go in the ‘W.'”

When she first arrived at UConn, Bueckers quickly showed her versatility on offense as well as her playmaking abilities. She had a historic freshman season and despite battling some injuries, she bounced back and also became a stronger defender later in her college career.

Bueckers is fresh off a national championship with the Huskies and is ready to begin her WNBA chapter after being the No. 1 overall draft pick. Although earlier this month she was still a college player, Bueckers has wasted no time making herself comfortable in the WNBA and building chemistry with the teammates that can show her the ropes.

Earlier on Sunday, the Wings on social media shared a message from Bueckers joking about how teammate DiJonai Carrington can’t guard her. Fans are also excited to see her play alongside four-time All-Star Arike Ogunbowale and already named the duo “Parike.”

The Wings finished last season second-to-last In the league with a 9-31 record, but this is a promising roster with a lot of buzz around it. Bueckers and the rest of the team will officially tip off their 2025 campaign hosting the Minnesota Lynx on May 16.