“Next Diana Taurasi”: Sky Owner Dwyane Wade Gets Real About Paige Bueckers’ Struggle Filled Journey to WNBA

The 2024 WNBA season ushered in a new era of recognition for women’s basketball. The league experienced historic heights and showed no signs of slowing down. For the second consecutive season, a polarizing figure will join the WNBA in Paige Bueckers. NBA legend and Chicago Sky owner Dwyane Wade provided Bueckers with nothing but praise and even drew parallels between her and Diana Taurasi.

In the 2025 WNBA Draft, the Dallas Wings selected Paige Bueckers with the top overall pick. Bueckers became a superstar in women’s basketball during her high school and collegiate careers. She thrived at every level, leaving UConn as a National Champion.

Her ability to combine scoring and passing to take over games is second to none. Despite her overwhelming success, nothing was handed to her. Bueckers had a difficult path to get to where she is now.

Wade recognizes the struggles Paige endured and believes she will be stronger because of them. On the recent episode of Time Out with Dwyane Wade, he said,

“[Bueckers] had one of the greatest careers in UConn. Just giving flowers and giving love to someone who’s had the pressure of being the next Diana Taurasi since she was in sixth grade.”

Wade believes that Bueckers always felt the pressure of living up to Taurasi and that she is on the same level as her. The 5-foot-11 guard established herself as one of the greatest players in UConn’s storied history, just like Taurasi.

The next step for Bueckers is to transfer her success to the WNBA. And to do that, she received valuable advice from her head coach at UConn.

Bueckers spoke about the draft experience

Bueckers will do everything possible not to become another player who didn’t live up to her potential. Throughout the entire draft process, she was open to any piece of advice. One of the most memorable came from Geno Auriemma.

“Just to embrace it,” Bueckers revealed. “Do what’s gotten me there but up it to another level. He has just emphasized to me that everything is important. There’s no detail too small.”

Auriemma is one of the greatest basketball minds ever. He knows a thing or two about how to be effective at the next level. The major piece of advice he gave Bueckers was to focus on every detail. Nothing is too small when it comes to winning.

Those words seemed to have left a lasting impact on Bueckers ahead of her rookie season. She will make her WNBA debut on May 16 against the Minnesota Lynx, when she will be eager to showcase her full potential.