Wings' Paige Bueckers 'Super Excited' to Play in Same City as Mavs' Kyrie Irving

Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers is "super excited" to be playing in the same home market as the Dallas Mavericks' Kyrie Irving after being an admirer of the nine-time All-Star's game.

Bueckers said Wednesday at her introductory press conference with the Wings that Irving has "been my favorite player for forever now," and she hopes to get some advice from him:

The feeling is mutual.

A day after making Bueckers the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA draft, Dallas shared a video of Irving welcoming her to the city. He said he's "so happy that you're going to be right down the street."

For Dallas basketball as a whole, Bueckers' arrival couldn't come at a better time.

The Luka Dončić trade continues to cast a massive shadow over the Mavericks, with general manager Nico Harrison acknowledging he underestimated how the fans would react. With Irving recovering from a torn ACL that will keep him out for the start of 2025-26, the organization's short-term outlook is murky at best.

The Wings can at least sell their fanbase on a bright future with Bueckers at the fore.

The UConn guard averaged 19.8 points on 53.1 percent shooting along with 4.6 assists over four years. She has the skills to be a perennial All-Star in the WNBA.

The Indiana Fever's immediate success with Clark is an example of how much a rookie can positively impact her team, too. The Fever overcame a shaky start to win seven more games in 2024 compared to the previous season, ending a seven-year playoff drought in the process.

Wednesday's press conference certainly struck the right tone in terms of Bueckers signaling her enthusiasm to be a member of the Wings.