Things were pretty much clear when the Dallas Wings landed the draft lottery last November. Texas was already getting cowboy hats ready for Paige Bueckers, and the team started making some serious moves. Looking back, that November kicked off what can now be called a “lucky” streak for the city. Because let’s be real—it’s hard to imagine Dallas without Luka. Then, like it was meant to be, the Mavs grabbed the NBA draft lottery, too. And now, with Flagg likely on the way, you can’t help but wonder: how long does hope hold? 

By now, you’ve probably heard NBA executives say that Flagg may never become a “star” or a once-in-a-generation prospect the way Wemby was drafted two years ago. Similar doubts have followed Paige, especially since Clark continues to move the needle. But the stakes are even higher for her, given that their so-called rivalry has been simmering since college.  

Bueckers has repeatedly pushed back against these comparisons, saying things like, “I think, running my own race, not running a race in comparison. Because in all honesty, I don’t think me and Caitlin play at all alike. But I understand growing up in the same class, the same generation, both guards… I don’t know, but I don’t think we play alike”. However, we all know that they are unlikely to disappear anytime soon.

So you can see why the burden falls on Bueckers to serve as Dallas’s good-luck charm. Everyone expects a rookie to cure the Wings’ wounds, and it’s up to her to reignite the city’s passion for basketball. Moreover, since the Wings haven’t won a championship since relocating to Texas, her acquisition feels like a bet on finally going the distance. Well, according to many, she is only set to ‘let’ the wounds heal and ease the process. Amongst those voices, the recent one is of analyst Rachel DeMita, who dropped what might be a distressing update, but is only natural. 

Analysing the official 2025 WNBA power rankings and comparing them to her own list, DeMita was quick to point out, “The Dallas Wings at 9. I think they’re going to be worse than 9, unfortunately. Oh! It just looks rough over there in Dallas right now”. With an average preseason performance and tricky internal dynamics, the Wings roster doesn’t look too promising to her as of now.

On the other hand, impressed by the Indiana Fever’s spectacular preseason run, Rachel said, “They have the Indiana Fever 5. For my power rankings I had the Indiana Fever at 2.” Further explaining her stand on keeping Fever second on the power rankings, Rachel added, “I surely do not have the Indiana fever at five i think they got so much better in the offseason they should be much higher than that number.“

Well, both teams are in a similar mode, with so many offseason additions, so what makes the difference? Well, firstly, Dallas has only three returning players, while the Fever has five. You might think that’s not a huge point, but it does hold. And from a positional perspective, the Wings’ roster is a bit tilted. 50% of the roster is just guards and does not have a true wing or small forward. In their preseason games, we saw the coach experiment with the frontcourt lineup, and we saw how many uncertainties arose. In the game against the Toyota Antelopes, Coach Koclanes moved Smith to the five spot while inserting Myisha Hines-Allen into the lineup in place of McCowan. And it worked. But then, Smith really hasn’t played the five much in the W. If she does succeed in maintaining efficiency at that position, things could prove to look more.

Another thing to consider is that the team didn’t really improve their defense from the bottom tier much. Thinking back to last season and their 111.7 defensive rating, everyone knew they needed to. They did make some moves, but besides Carrington and Hines-Allen? Not much hope there. There are those three rookies, yes, but as established earlier, we cannot really be pinning all our hopes on them. The adjustment to the league takes time, and we need to let them have that much.

And then, the much-discussed, the “Parike” effect! Well, that is where it looks really good because, honestly, Arike has probably never had a backcourt partner like Bueckers. They are about to become a threat both on and off the ball. If Koclanes can make just the right choices with this duo and let Bueckers run a chunk of major offense at times, we could see a serious run from the side.

Yet, the bottom line remains that Paige is no magic healer, and this season for the team is all about finding their identity.

Bueckers steps up in her rookie regular-season game

The Wings might have lost to the Lynx, but the flashes of brilliance Bueckers showed are extremely promising. In the first quarter itself, she went for four points and two rebounds and scored her first point just 45 seconds into the game. If that doesn’t scream pro, what does? She also played both as a shooting guard and a point guard, setting in stone her versatile nature that is a must in the league.

The first half of the game sat on a seesaw as the trio of Bueckers, Ogunbowale, and Harris gave the Lynx a tough competition by collectively scoring 21 points to take the lead to 21-19. How Bueckers handled the pressure against a team that fell short by a hairline’s breadth last season was exceptional. She kept attacking the basket and made plays for her teammates.

The chants of ‘Bueckers’ could be heard from every corner of the arena as fans wasted no time in celebrating her on social media. So, yes, her debut wasn’t just about who would win; it was a moment for the culture.