Paige Bueckers Talks Historic WNBA Season, NBA 2K26, ROY Race, More in B/R Interview

Paige Bueckers will let you debate who should be this year's WNBA Rookie of the Year because she's just trying to block out the noise.

"I try not to think about it," the Dallas Wings star told Bleacher Report. "I've learned in life that serving two masters never does you well, so the only thing I'm trying to do is be the best version of myself every single day I can be for the team. 

"Being Rookie of the Year is something I can't control, I don't get a vote on it. So just letting that be what it is and trying to be present with the Dallas Wings and get better and win basketball games is really my only focus."

She may not be focused on it, but Bueckers has been the runaway favorite for the Rookie of the Year for much of the season.

However, Sonia Citron of the Washington Mystics is starting to make some noise in a race that was fully under the spotlight during their head-to-head matchup on Sunday. Citron and the Mystics defeated Bueckers and the Wings as the former finished with 18 points, six assists and five rebounds on 7-of-10 shooting.

Still, Bueckers has the statistical advantage in points, assists and steals per game and is putting up those numbers while being the focal point of opposing defenses every time Dallas takes the court.

It is her award to lose even if she made a point not to set it as an expectation heading into her first season in the league.

"I really try to not set expectations for myself so I can live in the moment and be present and not get too high or too low depending on what I thought it was going to be," Bueckers said. "There's been a learning curve, it's been an adjustment, it's been very rewarding, challenging, fun. It's just been a journey like everything in life. It's been really cool to be able to build here in Dallas."

She might not set expectations for herself, but the outside world certainly did.

Much like Caitlin Clark last season, Bueckers could not have asked for a bigger spotlight heading into a WNBA rookie season. The parallels are obvious, as they were already household names from their time as stars at the collegiate level and became No. 1 overall picks in 2024 and 2025.

Being the No. 1 pick immediately put them in a position as the face of a franchise looking to become a long-term contender.

And, like Clark, Bueckers has lived up to and even surpassed those external expectations.

She is averaging 18.4 points, 5.4 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 45.2 percent from the field and notably poured in 35 points against the Phoenix Mercury in just her seventh career regular-season game.

That was a sign of things to come, as she has scored in double figures in all 26 of her games.

Bueckers was also an All-Star Game starter in her first season and was named the WNBA Rookie of the Month in June and July. The latest recognition was for July after she was the only player in the league to rank in the top 10 in points, assists and steals per game.

History has become a habit as well, as she became the fastest rookie to ever post 450 points, 100 assists and 100 rebounds. That came after she fittingly tied Clark's league record as the fastest player to reach 300 points and 100 assists.

The UConn product even made history in the All-Star Game when she tallied the most assists (eight) without a turnover by a rookie for either the NBA or WNBA All-Star Game.

So what is she most proud of to this point? 

"Every day getting to be in this new organization building new relationships and building new connections," Bueckers said. "And just trying to lead from where I'm at as a rookie. It's challenging at times because I want to come in and gain everybody's respect and not step on toes but also contribute to winning and be a part of something we're building. And being an All-Star with those amazing women, the best players in the world, was an amazing experience. I got to learn and be a sponge and build new relationships. So I was very grateful for that experience."

The memorable experiences have extended beyond the court, as she partnered with NBA 2K26 to help promote the game's milestone announcement that WNBA Player Cards will be available in the MyTEAM mode for the first time in history.

That means gamers will be able to mix and match NBA and WNBA players in the same lineups. 

"I thought it was really cool," Bueckers said. "I've always dreamed of playing with my favorite NBA players and what that would look like playing with them and against them. So to be able to join them and have the best of the best from both leagues compete with and against each other is really cool."

She also can't wait to experiment with a variety of lineups.

"I would love to join my favorite backcourt NBA players," she said. "Steph and Kyrie have always been my favorites, so I would love to share the backcourt with them. And with the W, I've always wanted to play with Maya Moore and Diana Taurasi. So being able to mix different eras, there's so many lineups you can play with. Prime LeBron is probably crazy, I never got to grow up watching Michael Jordan. There are endless possibilities, it'll be really cool to see."

Bueckers has been in the public eye even before she arrived in the WNBA, but getting to see and control herself in a video game like NBA 2K is still a pinch-myself moment for the Wings star.

"I played 2K growing up and to this day," she said. "My siblings play it, and I think it's really cool for them to be able to see their big sister in a video game. I think representation matters a lot. So for women to be newly into this game since 2020 and to continue to see the rise and the growth of women's sports so the next generation can see that can be them too, it just means a whole lot to the sport and to us women. It's very surreal and a big blessing."

For as excellent as Bueckers has been, Wings fans hoping to see their team win a championship this year will have to rely on NBA 2K because the team is just 9-24 even after snapping a five-game losing streak with Tuesday's 81-80 win over an Indiana Fever team playing without the injured Clark.

Dallas has been trying to dig out of its initial hole with a 1-11 start, ended up trading DiJonai Carrington to the Minnesota Lynx, and has seen both Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale deal with some injury concerns.

It hasn't been the season the Wings envisioned from a record standpoint, but it also has been anything but a lost effort.

"We're in a stage where we're trying to build something and set the foundation for the next couple years," Bueckers said. "It's a process, which is rewarding. It's tough to be in it, but overall you learn so much about yourself and who you want to be. It's been amazing to live out my dream of playing at this stage with a new organization and new teammates while building those new relationships."

Bueckers is also the biggest reason for optimism since she is already one of the faces of the league and a franchise cornerstone who has thrived in her first season.

And she feels there is plenty to build on moving forward.

"Our chemistry and how much we like and enjoy being around each other," she said when discussing a positive from this season. "That's a huge thing in basketball. So if we stick to it and continue to work and continue to stay together, the game will always reward you.

"And at the end of the day, we're competing. In most every game, we're not getting blown out. So we have that optimism of building those reps in close and tight games. A lot of us are new since we're a young team. And building those reps will only make us better. It's much more fun to be able to grow together with people you really enjoy being around."

If she continues to elevate her own game, that growth will eventually turn into plenty of winning in Dallas.