Former Paige Bueckers Rival Strikes Fast, Issues 10-Second WNBA Rookie of the Year Verdict

No good story feels complete without a healthy rivalry, and Paige Bueckers only found hers in November 2023. Let me set the scene for you guys: Bueckers missed an entire season due to injury, but she didn’t lose a step! The UConn guard, in the 2023-24 season, averaged an insanely efficient 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists a game, so you can just imagine the terror she was inflicting on the league. However, a sophomore from UCLA had her number, and her name was Kiki Rice. The five-foot-eleven guard dropped a 24-point double-double on Bueckers, and the rest was history.

Although they clashed numerous times over the next two years, their most defining battle was in last year’s Final Four. Rice, before the game, made sure to give Paige Bueckers the respect she deserved. “Paige is a fantastic player. You’re not gonna shut down players of her caliber,” the UCLA star said. And that respect exists to date, even though PB put an early end to her natty run.

On SI’s Around the W show, Kiki Rice sat down with host Maria Clifton to discuss all things WNBA, including how her former rival was doing. When Clifton asked what the UCLA guard’s predictions for Rookie of the Year are, her response was rapid! “I think Paige will get it, and I think she deserves it. I mean, she’s had a great year,” Rice said, before bringing in Citron as well. “I think Sonia’s been playing super well, but yeah, Paige looks like a five-year vet out there.” 

It’s interesting to note that Sonia Citron is playing for Kiki Rice’s hometown, Washington, which Kiki Rice is a big fan of! However, Paige Bueckers’ rookie accomplishments are too big to ignore. After all, she has an All-Star starting spot under her belt and is on the fast track to make the All-WNBA First Team. Not to mention, the Dallas Wings star is currently top 10 in PPG, APG, and SPG in the W.

The one thing holding her back? Team success. Dallas has been awful this season, and their 9-31 record is the only thing standing between Paige Bueckers and a First Team appearance as a rookie. However, the Wings star has a special request for all of the people coming to cheer her on. Let’s find out exactly what Bueckers has to say to her fanbase!

Paige Bueckers draws comparisons to an NBA legend after a sincere request to Dallas fans.

Rebuilds are always hard, and losing hurts. These are two undeniable truths that every Dallas fan knows, both in the NBA and in the WNBA. Curt Miller did his job by bringing in Paige Bueckers this year, but as the team sinks to the bottom of the league, there’s nothing one player can do about it. We know the potential is there when it comes to Bueckers; she just needs the right pieces alongside her.

But the criticism often becomes overbearing. Tens of thousands of fans getting their hearts broken every single day will eventually mean you don’t have that many people supporting you. But the UConn star had an important request for everyone who took time to watch games and to support the Wings this year.

“Just to stick with it,” Bueckers said after losing to Atlanta earlier this month. “Whoever puts on a Wings jersey that night, that’s who we believe in. We don’t need exterior belief—we believe in each other. I remember Steph Curry, before the Warriors became the Warriors, tweeted, ‘Just stick with us.’ That’s the message.”

‘Before the Warriors became the Warriors‘ is a powerful line indeed, and it’s quite applicable to what’s going on in Dallas right now. Everyone is showing glimpses of brilliance, inspiring hope that it won’t be long before they’re real contenders. However, the process takes time, and it takes a lot of buy-in from both the players and the fans.

Bueckers, apparently, has the players handled. The Dallas Wings guard is putting her all into making sure that her team doesn’t collapse. It is definitely tough to keep morale high when you keep losing, but PB won’t stand for it! Dallas HC Chris Koclanes pointed out how the six-foot-tall guard helps maintain composure in the locker room. “It’s hard when things are tough not to crumble, but Paige and this group keep perspective. They don’t feel sorry for themselves—they maintain standards, hold each other accountable, and believe in the future.”

After Bueckers’ call for support, the ball is in the fans’ court. Just remember, it took Curry a whole rebuild lasting 6 years before he ever got his hands on a ring. Will Dallas fans stick around and trust the process? Or will the need for immediate gratification win over? Only time will tell. Stay tuned for more updates!