It was her big moment. Cowboy hat on, spotlight bright, and that signature smile beaming wide, Paige Bueckers officially touched down in Dallas. The former UConn phenom, fresh off a national title run, stepped up to the mic at City Hall for her first major public appearance as the Dallas Wings’ No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft.

“It’s been insane. It’s been nonstop,” the 23-year-old guard told reporters, still riding the high of draft week. But in between a few dad jokes and showing love to her new teammate Arike Ogunbowale, Bueckers dropped a name that caught the entire city’s attention—Kyrie Irving.

Now, Paige hasn’t exactly kept that fandom a secret. Kyrie’s been her guy for years. She’s studied his game, mirrored his moves, and leaned into his style. That tight handle, that creative finishing, that calm chaos in traffic—it’s all part of what makes her game so electric. And now, she’s not just in the pros. She’s in his city.

“He’s been my favorite player since forever,” Bueckers said, grinning like a kid outside the candy store. “To be able to lean on and support… just excited for Dallas itself. Great to be in the same city as him.” That connection runs deeper than just admiration.

Like Bueckers, Kyrie Irving was also a No. 1 overall pick, drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2011 after a brief but eye-popping stint at Duke. And now, more than a decade later, Bueckers is stepping into that same top-pick spotlight—different league, same pressure, same city, and oddly enough, the same kind of expectations.

Just like Kyrie, Bueckers brings a flair for the spectacular. Her handle is shifty and slick, her touch around the rim unpredictable, and her ability to keep defenders off balance is right out of Kyrie’s playbook. She’s watched him, studied him, and borrowed freely.

“I think his finishing abilities, the way he uses his quickness, he’s extremely underratedly strong, and just his creativity are things I want to take away,” she said. “You can’t be that elite at basketball without a great work ethic.”

And for Paige, that work ethic was tested—hard. After a dazzling freshman year at UConn, everything came to a stop when she tore her ACL in 2022. It was a gut punch. The kind of injury that derails careers, especially for guards who rely so much on quickness and precision. But Paige didn’t fold. She rehabbed. PB reshaped her game. She learned patience. And when she came back, she didn’t just return—she conquered. Led UConn to another Final Four. Climbed back to the top. Became the No. 1 pick.

And just days after her name was called on draft night, that mutual respect got a moment of its own. The Dallas Wings posted a surprise video from none other than Kyrie Irving himself, filmed not long after her draft night celebrations wrapped.

“I just wanted to take the time to congratulate you on being drafted, especially to the Dallas Wings,” Kyrie said in the clip. “I’m excited for your journey ahead. I was so proud of you—the way you carried yourself through all your challenges. I know the women’s game is only going to get better with you in it.”

That message landed hard for Paige, especially since Kyrie’s own season had just been cut short by a devastating ACL tear on March 3, 2025, against the Sacramento Kings. At 33, with a $42 million player option looming, Kyrie’s future in Dallas was shaky, and fans knew it. His words to Paige were warm, but they carried a weight nobody could ignore—Dallas might not be his home much longer.

That message wasn’t random. It was real. And it meant something to Paige, who had posted a year earlier during the 2024 NBA Playoffs, hyping up Kyrie and Luka Dončić after their huge performance against the Clippers.

“Luka & Kyrie mannnn,” she wrote on X, as the two combined for 55 points—Dončić scoring 32, Kyrie adding 23—in a gritty 96–93 win over LA. That love for the Mavs duo came full circle the minute she landed in Dallas. But in true internet fashion, not everyone appreciated the shoutout.

“Don’t Drag Us to the Finals, Paige!”– Mavs Fans Sound Off After Kyrie Shoutout Sparks

Mavericks fans are still hurting. The franchise blew things up and left the NBA stunned. So when Paige Bueckers gave Kyrie Irving a shoutout, they weren’t ready. The Wings rookie praised the Mavs star just months after Dallas traded away Luka Dončić. Luka was 25. He had just carried the team to the 2024 Finals. Then boom—gone. The Mavs hit the self-destruct button. It became one of the most shocking moves in recent NBA history.

The blockbuster trade, finalized on February 1, 2025, sent Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers as part of a three-team deal with the Utah Jazz. In return, Dallas received Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick from LA—while the Jazz took on Jalen Hood-Schifino and two second-rounders.

Dončić, who was averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 7.8 assists before a calf strain sidelined him on Christmas Day, had been the heart of the Mavericks. Fans couldn’t believe it—five All-NBA First Team selections, a Finals run, and he was only 25. The return felt like pocket change.

Davis, a 2020 champion, was 31 and nursing a minor adductor strain by his second game in Dallas. Christie, while a developing starter in LA, was still considered a role player. And that 2029 pick? Years away from paying dividends.

The trade was a move no one, not even Kyrie himself, saw coming. Reports said Irving was “blindsided.” The locker room? Crushed. The fanbase? Furious. The return package? Underwhelming. And the blame? All eyes landed on GM Nico Harrison, who’s been getting roasted on Dallas sports radio and X threads ever since.

So when Paige—fresh off her own No. 1 overall selection—praised Kyrie in her first week as a Dallas pro, fans didn’t hold back. “Hey Paige, better thank God you’re not a Maverick! You’d be traded one random Saturday night, for a bag of potato chips and a seltzer water,” one fan joked, dragging the Luka deal straight into WNBA waters.

Another added, “Little advice for you Paige, don’t EVER drag your team to the Finals or you might get traded!” It was a brutal callback to Luka’s loyalty and the fact that he led Dallas to the 2024 Finals—only to be shipped out a season later.

The jokes kept flying. “Keep Nico TF away from her. He’ll try and trade her.” The fan knew full well that the Dallas Wings have their own GM, but the sarcasm was too tempting to pass up. Then came a hard stop: “What we’re NOT going to do is leach off Paige. FOH Mavericks.” The fanbase, clearly protective of Bueckers already, didn’t want her name being used as a rebound distraction from their franchise’s mess.

And just when you thought it couldn’t get more dramatic, one user posted, “Paige, dear, Kyrie is not going to be here much longer.” It was a sharp reminder of how things had changed. Last season, Kyrie and Luka seemed like the perfect duo. They shared late-night tunnel hugs, laughed through interviews, and carried Dallas deep into June. Now, it was all different.

The finale? A cold, sarcastic dagger: “Give her 5 years to develop and then trade her for Angel Reese and a bag of chips.” That one hit hard. Luka had been drafted in 2018, gave them everything for 7 years, and still got dealt.

The “Angel Reese” jab wasn’t about her talent—who’s thriving in Chicago—but about value, loyalty, and how quickly it can all fall apart in Dallas.

And finally, a fan summed up the mood in just two lines:“Leave her alone. We hate the Mavs.” No sugarcoating, no walking it back. Dallas may have gained a superstar in Bueckers, but the scars from losing Luka? They’re still fresh.