The WNBA has seen its fair share of fierce rivalries evolve throughout the course of this season. But all of that is now put on hold due to the commencement of the FIBA Women’s World Cup, and Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers understands it best, as she is part of a USA team that is in search of its fifth straight crown in the competition.

For Bueckers, winning the gold medal in her first major international tournament is the No. 1 priority, and she insisted on teamwork rather than focusing on any club-level tensions between her teammates.

“Right now we’re on the same team – we’re wearing the same jersey. Talking trash and having rivalries, that’s in the love of the game. Bueckers told FIBA. “It’s all in the means of respect. We’re just competitors – we wanna win. Going at each other, I think, is a form of endearment for us.”

Taking Bueckers only as an example, the Wings star was involved in an altercation with none other than her USA teammate Caitlin Clark on August 20.

During the second quarter of the Fever-Wings game, the former No. 1 overall picks got into a heated exchange after Bueckers intentionally fouled Clark, who was in possession. Clark did not take the foul kindly and showed visible frustration, to which Bueckers had some simple words for Clark. “Calm down,” Bueckers said as the Fever star complained to the referees.

Considering that a total of eight different WNBA teams are represented on the Team USA roster, there were bound to be rivalries and heated moments formed across the season. Players under head coach Kara Lawson represent Indiana, Dallas, Minnesota, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Washington, and New York. In fact, seven of these teams are in the WNBA playoffs, so safe to say that most of the rivalries will be resumed once the WNBA restarts on September 17.

But for now, Bueckers and co. need to set aside any and all differences that they have experienced on or off the court this season to focus on the real prize.

“When we’re on the same team, it’s all love and we all have the same common goal and we’re all trying to win together.” Bueckers provided a reassuring statement.

Looking at the bigger picture, Team USA is leaning more on youth this time around. With as many as nine World Cup first-timers, the team lacks experience but makes up for it with its exceptional talent.

While Team USA is once again the favorite to win it all, they still have to stay wary of teams like France, Australia, and China, who have come up as formidable opponents in recent memory. In fact, France was just one possession away from clinching gold ahead of the USA in the 2024 Paris Olympics, if not for A’ja Wilson’s MVP heroics in the final.

Talking about Wilson, the two-time World Cup winner and MVP will not be a part of the roster this time around, alongside fellow two-time winner Kelsey Plum. Both veterans have pulled out of the World Cup due to their respective injuries.

This puts the young stars on center stage even more so than before. While that also accounts for extra pressure, Bueckers has been dealing with such expectations since her college years, when she successfully led USA to FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup 2019 glory as MVP in Bangkok.

“We’re young, we’re hungry, we’re humble, but we also wanna contribute to winning basketball. I mean, that’s really all we’re here to do.” Bueckers said.

Bueckers and Team USA will tip off their highly anticipated World Cup campaign on September 4 against China, as WNBA fans will be on the lookout for how a group of rivals turned teammates will perform alongside each other on the biggest international stage in women’s basketball.