WNBA undersells Paige Bueckers star power after releasing schedule

Paige Bueckers is almost certainly heading to the WNBA as the No. 1 overall draft pick this year, which will grant her a spot on the Dallas Wings. Plenty of fans are already clamoring for Bueckers-Wings merch despite the fact that the draft hasn’t taken place yet — but it isn’t entirely clear the Wings are preparing for the surge in popularity Bueckers will bring.

The Wings announced the team’s 2025 broadcast and streaming schedule Thursday, and revealed 23 of their games will be aired on TV. Of those 23, three will be on ESPN, two will air on ABC, and 11 will air on ION. The remaining games will be aired by NBA TV, CBS Sports, and Prime Video. ESPN 3 will also stream five of the team’s games.

All 44 of the team’s regular season games will air locally thanks to broadcast partner KFAA.

The Wings should make it easier to watch Paige Bueckers’ rookie season

While there’s no way to know until it happens, it’s safe to assume Bueckers is going to have a pretty big rookie season. She’s one of collegiate basketball’s most popular athletes, has her own signature shoe, and will arrive in the WNBA with a fan base already locked in and established. In a lot of ways, it feels like the Wings aren’t doing enough to make sure as many fans as possible can watch Bueckers as she begins her professional career.

Speculation about Bueckers’ WNBA future could be part of the problem

Perhaps there’s more going on behind the scenes than fans realize. There have been rumors for at least several weeks that Bueckers is not particularly interested in playing in Dallas for the duration of her rookie contract, and various voices around the WNBA have sometimes fanned the flames.

Howard Megdal has speculated that perhaps one of the best things Bueckers could do for the WNBA player’s union ahead of CBA negotiations is to not play in the league at all. Bueckers has plenty of options, he wrote on March 19. She might declare for the WNBA but tell the Wings she won’t play for them, for example, instead opting to go overseas and make more money elsewhere.

She can also officially join Unrivaled after she’s inked a pro contract (as Megdal also noted, that contract doesn’t have to be in the WNBA, it just has to be a professional deal). If the WNBA doesn’t reach a CBA agreement with players by the beginning of next year, it’s likely there will be a lockout anyway — and Bueckers could already have made plenty of money somewhere else.