Dwyane Wade Wants Paige Bueckers to Listen After ROTY Win Triggers Backlash

“Everyone has so much negativity when it’s about do they like each other or don’t they like each other? It don’t matter if they like each other or not”. Dwyane Wade, a former NBA champion, made sure to let everyone know that the WNBA doesn’t need its players to like each other. Plus, being a minority owner of the Chicago Sky, he has the pulse on the league and its star players, Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark. Now, Paige Bueckers’ ROTY accolade has brought another debate.

The Heat icon made sure to remind the Wings star about her struggles and the pressure she is dealing with. “The one thing about social media has allowed us to be able to see the little kids that’s in seventh grade that is doing their thing, and people say in years such-and-such and such, watch out for them. But Paige Bueckers was one of those little kids had that write-up to say she’s going to be one of the greatest women basketball players ever when she was young. That’s a lot of pressure.”

This message from D-Wade was not recent, but from back in April. Even before being the overall #1 pick for the ROTY accolade, Bueckers has gone through a lot. Paige Bueckers was originally in the same draft class as the likes of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. Unfortunately, she suffered an ACL injury, which cut her sophomore season short and forced her to miss the entirety of the 2022-23 college season. Apart from this, knee problems and meniscus injuries were some major problems that plagued her collegiate career.

Bueckers’ sophomore season (2021-22) was cut short by a tibial plateau fracture and lateral meniscus tear in her left knee on December 5, 2021, during a game against Notre Dame. She missed 19 games but returned for the postseason, later admitting she rushed her recovery. The ACL tear occurred separately in August 2022 (during a pickup game), which caused her to miss the entire 2022-23 season (her junior year).

Those injuries didn’t stop the UConn alum, and she ended her collegiate career with the NCAA championship. That’s why Dwyane Wade wants Bueckers to remember her grit. “Having to come back (ACL injury) and still get back to the level of greatness that we expected from a Paige Bueckers. She did it right away, not missing a beat. And so she said it last year. She said, ‘Y’all have seen the world tour, but y’all have not seen the work tour.’ And she don’t show her work. And you can tell she works her bu– off because the results are there.”

Despite Dwyane Wade’s words, critics question Paige Bueckers’ accolade

The last four overall #1 picks have won the ROTY, including the Wings’ rookie guard. While she was always the favorite for the award, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen’s valiant fight throughout the season made things interesting for a while. And Dallas’ poor record led everyone to think that Paige shouldn’t win outright. With the Dallas Wings ending their season at 10-34, Paige Bueckers became the first Rookie of the Year winner to win around 10 wins (she did not appear in one of the Wings’ wins).

On the other hand, the Washington Mystics ended the season with a 16-28 record, better than the Wings. In fact, in their two meetings, Sonia averaged 22.5 points per game compared to Paige’s 18.5 and won both those encounters. Away from the court, Cathy Engelbert’s surprise visit also made a lot of people angry. The WNBA commissioner met Paige in person during UConn’s alum “Spirit Tunnel” walk at The Jennifer Hudson Show. Engelbert would deliberate the trophy there as fans pointed out last year’s behavior.

Last year, Engelbert let Clark know she won the award by giving her a phone call at the end of a Fever practice. Despite all of this, there is no doubt that Paige deserved the accolade. 19 points, 5.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.6 steals proved she is a true two-way guard. Even though some doubted her fitness due to her collegiate injuries, she would play in 36 games with 33.3 minutes on average. This award also puts her on an elusive list of five players to win an NCAA Championship, being selected as the first overall pick, and win the Rookie of the Year in the same calendar year.