The bond between NBA and WNBA stars continues to strengthen as athletes across leagues show genuine support for each other’s historic achievements. Minnesota natives Chet Holmgren and Paige Bueckers have maintained a friendship that transcends their different basketball paths, from shared roots in the Twin Cities to their current professional success. This connection was on full display during one of Bueckers’ most remarkable professional performances this season.

Paige Bueckers delivered a performance that instantly entered WNBA record books, putting up 40+ points on an almost flawless shooting line. The Dallas Wings lost, but Bueckers’ showing set the league’s single-game rookie scoring record. Sitting courtside through it all was Holmgren, just weeks removed from helping Oklahoma City capture an NBA championship, and clearly enjoying every bucket she knocked down.

After the game, Holmgren shared a photo from his front-row view, captioned with his short but telling two-word reaction: “Great hoops🕺🏻 #40PieceExtraSaucy.” It summed up the night perfectly, tying together the 40-plus points Bueckers scored with the style and swagger she played with. His post quickly spread across social media, with fans noting how his courtside support added to the fun of Bueckers’ career night.

Bueckers responded with equal warmth and humor, commenting “My boy Cheddar champ! 🫡” on his post. A nick name secret until now.  This playful nickname riffed on his actual name while acknowledging his recent NBA championship status with the respectful salute emoji. Reflecting on years of existing friendship and frankness between the two.

The game that prompted the post was historic. Bueckers scored 44 points on 17-of-21 shooting, including 4-of-4 from three, in an 81–80 loss to Los Angeles. Her total set a new WNBA single-game rookie record, surpassing Chiney Ogwumike’s 40 from 2014. Holmgren was quick to broadcast the performance beyond Instagram, tweeting “Turn this shit on Paige got 40😭😭😭” and “Idk where y’all can watch this game but Paige and Rickea goin at it rn.” Those posts mirrored the awe felt across the league, with Breanna Stewart calling the effort “Insane!!” in her own reaction.

Holmgren’s presence courtside and the viral back-and-forth highlighted more than one night’s stat line. It underscored how NBA and WNBA players are increasingly using their platforms to support each other in ways that go beyond surface-level gestures. Holmgren’s appearance was one of several this summer. Each reinforcing the Minnesota pipeline that produced both talents. With Paige now owning a rookie record and Holmgren already adding an NBA title to his resume, their stories continue to run alongside each other. Setting up the next chapter in a friendship that has been years in the making.

High school heroes: Minnesota roots of an NBA–WNBA friendship

Holmgren and Bueckers were standout kids in Minnesota’s prep scene. In 2016, both took part in the Minnetonka All-Stars summer showcase, where Holmgren’s height and shot-blocking grabbed attention while Bueckers’ perimeter scoring turned heads. Scouts began to notice that their names always appeared near the top of any prospect list in the state, and their paths started overlapping more frequently.

By 2018, their talents had elevated them onto the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League circuit. Chet Holmgren suited up with the Minnesota Magic while Bueckers ran with Team CP3. Though they played for different squads, they often found themselves on the same courts for practices and scrimmages. The competitiveness built during those sessions earned mutual respect. Coaches and teammates would later recall how both players carried themselves as leaders even in those teenage years.

The defining moment of their shared journey came in 2022 at Spokane Arena during a summer camp scrimmage. The two faced off in a one-on-one that drew a crowd of players and spectators, with Bueckers later saying “He’s a unicorn—7-foot-1 and still moves like a guard. Scoring on him was impossible.” Holmgren, meanwhile, praised her instincts and defensive fight. A year later, local coaches and media began branding them with nicknames, Holmgren as the “Minnesota Unicorn” and Bueckers as the “Sharpshooter of the North.” That history remains the backdrop whenever they show up for each other today, with every courtside visit or social media post carrying echoes of those early days.