It has been a great year for Paige Bueckers, from winning the national championship to getting drafted as the No. 1 pick in the WNBA. The franchise that drafted her was looking forward to having a “superstar in the making” hit the ground running and form great chemistry with her teammates for a successful season ahead. Instead, the word used for Paige was “annoying”… Fans might be surprised to hear such a word used for the crowd favorite, Paige, who is deadly on the court and sweet off it. But don’t worry, Dallas fans — it’s all good-hearted interaction and just a way of expressing love for each other. Paige Bueckers, trying to settle in the W, already found a ‘sister’ to practice with and mess around.

DiJonai Carrington, a four-year veteran in the league, was added to the Wings’ locker room to provide some defensive solidity. But the 27-year-old star couldn’t resist calling out her new teammate. Videos of Paige and DiJonai went viral, with both stars never missing a chance to “irritate” each other. When Carrington was asked about her relationship with Paige, her response was quick, as if she’d had it ready in her mind for a while. “I told her that this is my punishment for bothering all my vets in my first four years in Connecticut.” Carrington said, “It is full circle. It is perfect.”

27-year-old Carrington was the 2021 draft pick by the Connecticut Sun and spent four seasons at the Mohegan Sun Arena. Her outspoken nature allowed her to form great chemistry within the team with veterans like DeWanna Bonner, Alyssa Thomas. After a successful period at the Sun franchise, she will be looking to have a similar impact in the Wings franchise, and her lighthearted, playful nature is certainly an advantage for her when it comes to establishing a rapport with fellow teammates. Importantly, she found similar traits in Paige, too.

“She is just a great young lady, great personality, we mesh well. Our personalities are similar. We both are lighthearted.” Carrington said. “I think just having that rapport on the court, always helping you on the court because you’re able to talk to each other and only having the best for you… I’m glad to have that relationship.”

During a training session video, when all the Dallas players were asked who would make the first basket in the new season, Paige took DiJonai’s name, who was practising her long-range shots. But as she missed the shot on camera, Paige said, “She is saving it for the match,” and ran back into the locker room. When Carrington found out about the funny jibe on social media, she responded, “Leave me alone, Ur annoying,” tagging Paige Bueckers in her comment.

While good chemistry between players always boosts on-court performance, how in sync are they on the court? Let’s find out.

Paige Bueckers dispels doubts as a new trio emerges

With a 9-31 record in the 2024 season, the Dallas Wings franchise needed to reset itself for the upcoming season. They changed their front office staff, coaching staff, and nearly wiped out the entire squad with trades and contract terminations. The draft was pretty kind to them, with players like Paige Bueckers drafted and four other draft picks from the talent pool.

“She is one of one and its all credit to her.” Wings HC said about Bueckers in an interview, “All I wanna do is to continue to be herself and then support her and cultivate a space where she feels comfortable in, and allow her to continue to grow and bring all that she brings on and off the court.”

Keeping their star Arike Ogunbowale and future star Paige Bueckers at the center of offense, the side added a number of defensive-minded players with solid scoring ability. Arike Ogunbowale herself led the league in steals last season, while Paige is another handy defender at the key with the ability to elevate those around her. All in all, calling her a complete player won’t be an overstatement. And to think that she is already gelling right in with her partner signals good things ahead. “Paige just gets you easy buckets,” Ogunbowale said of Paige’s play. “Even if you think she doesn’t see you, she sees you. That’s just going to be all year, so I’m excited about that.”

And the team’s long-term vision was amply visible in their preseason game as Bueckers and Ogunbowale shot a combined 5-of-9 from 3-point range against the antelopes, with Carrington initiating the offense as well. The trio did not miss out on pushing the pace, with forward Maddy Siegrist streaking ahead in transition as well. Safe to say that their up-tempo approach helped them break the game wide open in the 2nd quarter. 

However, they need to ensure their frontcourt depth ramps up in their final 12, especially if you consider the game against the Aces. So, if the rest of the pieces fall into place as nicely, we are sure to see the team do much, much greater things.