Paige Bueckers has been one of the Dallas Wings’ most prolific scorers this season, but she expects to encounter some trouble scoring against the Golden State Valkyries in the first round of the 2026 playoffs. She expects most of the problems from two sources – Gabby Williams and Veronica Burton – as she admitted to ESPN’s Kendra Andrews on X.

“They are smart in their instincts. They get tips, deflections, are constantly in passing lanes and keep people in front of them…as ball handler, it’s hard to penetrate their defense,” said the Dallas Wings’ franchise star.

Burton and Williams are both veterans who, apart from being scoring engines, also provide a strong defense. They do not usually blow past attacking players, but force them to stay on the perimeter or take contested, difficult shots. Bueckers’ scouting report on the two is an accurate representation of why she will have an issue scoring her usual game-high points. 

And Paige Bueckers’ stats against the Valkyries are a cause for concern for the young star entering her first playoffs. 

Across the 42 regular-season games Bueckers has played this season for the Wings, she has averaged 20.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 5.9 assists, leading Dallas in both points and assists. But her performances against the Valkyries have been far from her usual best. The Wings have lost to the Valkyries thrice this season, and across those three games, Bueckers has averaged 17.6 points, 4 assists, and 2 rebounds per game.

She has also been held to 44.2% from the field and 28.6% from beyond the arc, lower than her season average of 51.2% from the field and 41.0% from three. Williams and Co. will be a significant problem for Paige Bueckers, who is partial to shooting from the midrange. 

Gabby Williams, who is a forward for the Valkyries, has led from the front all season. She is the leading scorer for the Valkyries, averaging 14.4 points per game. Under Head coach Natalie Nakase, Williams is the floor general for the Valkyries, controlling the ball on both ends of the hardwood. While her offensive production is clear to see, her defensive ability is nothing to be underestimated.

Williams was the WNBA steals leader in 2025, even making the All-Defensive First Team. And her defensive showing doesn’t stop at the WNBA. She was named the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup best defensive player. She has also been EuroLeague’s Defensive Player of the Year for three years – 2021, 2025, and 2026. Alongside the team’s assists leader, Veronica Burton, Gabby Williams forms the defensive anchor for the Golden State, orchestrating a league-leading defensive rating of 99.1. Even Paige Bueckers had to admit to the team’s defensive ability.

“They’re probably one of the best, if not the best, defensive backcourts in the WNBA,” Bueckers added.

And this is not the only problem plaguing Paige Bueckers about facing the Valkyries, as Veronica Burton poses serious challenges for her, too.

Burton was named the Most Improved Player for the 2025 season and is averaging a career high of 1.6 steals this season. She is also making 0.5 blocks per game, the second-highest in her career. Burton made the WNBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2025 and has carried that momentum forward to this season as well, making the second-most steals on the Valkyries roster behind Williams. Throughout her college career at Northwestern University, Burton was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year thrice, proving her worth around the rim.

Gabby Williams is also part of the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year, alongside Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson and Atlanta Dream’s Angel Reese. With Williams and Burton at the helm of the Valkyries’ defense, assisted by Kiah Stokes, the Dallas Wings and Paige Bueckers may have a difficult time putting up a big score.

But Paige Bueckers has been known to break past defenses, and Wings head coach Jose Fernandez will hope she does the same against the Valkyries. Only time will tell, as the Wings face the Valkyries on Sunday.