The 2025 WNBA season has ushered in a new wave of recognition for women’s basketball—visibility the league has never experienced before. Among the most vocal supporters is Miami Heat legend and Chicago Sky co-owner Dwyane Wade, who has become one of the WNBA’s biggest advocates.

Wade’s admiration has especially centered on rookie sensation Paige Bueckers. Not too long ago, he dubbed the Dallas Wings guard the next Diana Taurasi. Now, he’s taken his praise to another level.

On his podcast, The Timeout, Wade pointed out “To me, I was looking at, I’m like, “Oh, I think Paige Beckers is going to be, you know, one of those goats, right?” And then Paige suffered, you know, the ACL injuries in college. Opened up that window for Caitlin Clark.” Wade said. “Now, Caitlin has always been a very good player. You go back to their high school, Caitlin was always in there with top five with Angel, with Paige, and all that, but she wasn’t as known.”

The former NBA superstar pointed out that Paige Bueckers was on the same trajectory as Caitlin Clark before her college career got derailed by ACL injuries. According to Wade, those injuries and the time the Dallas rookie spent in rehab gave Clark the perfect window to make the women’s basketball space her own. Well, those are huge words coming from Wade’s mouth, but you’ve got to agree with the three-time NBA champion, as injuries did affect Bueckers’ momentum in the run-up to the WNBA and delayed her rise.

That subtext carries weight. Clark has been positioned as the face of the next generation, but Bueckers’ surge in her rookie season signals that this era might not belong to just one player. If Wade’s words hold true, Clark and Bueckers could be the league’s defining rivalry—two phenoms pushing each other while elevating women’s basketball to unprecedented heights.

While Dwyane Wade gave Paige Bueckers her flowers as he commended her coming back from such a huge setback, he did not take away from the fact that Caitlin Clark also is a generational talent in her own right.

However, it still seems that if Wade were given a choice, he would pick Bueckers, given how highly he rates the young star.

Dwyane Wade says Paige Bueckers is his favorite player in the WNBA

Apart from suggesting that the Dallas Wings superstar’s college misfortune helped Caitlin Clark’s rise, Wade also lauded the rookie for the phenomenal debut season she’s having in the league.

“Kenny and I were talking the other day, and I was just, you know, Paige Bueckers has been one of my favorite players,” Wade said on the recent episode of his podcast. “I’ve been on record talking about Paige, right? Shout out to Paige Bueckers. She’s having an incredible rookie season.” However, this wasn’t all the praise he had for the 23-year-old Dallas guard.

He then went on to suggest that Paige Bueckers is the next big thing in the world of women’s basketball. That’s huge coming from someone as celebrated in the hoops community as the former Miami Heat superstar. And to be honest, he’s just speaking facts. After all, there’s a reason why the Dallas Wings picked the former UConn guard as the No. 1 pick in this season’s draft.

In fact, many will tell you that this recognition that Bueckers is getting after lighting up the league has been a long time coming for the young guard.

The Dallas Wings may be struggling through a tough season at 9-29, but Paige Bueckers has been a rare bright spot in the lineup.

In her debut campaign, she’s averaging 19 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.2 assists—numbers that not only highlight her scoring punch but also her versatility as a playmaker. For a rookie, producing at this level on a team fighting to stay competitive speaks volumes about her poise and talent.

While the Wings clearly have work to do in building a contending roster, Bueckers has already positioned herself as a foundational piece. So, it will be worth keeping an eye on where Paige Bueckers takes her game from here next season.