The Dallas Wings have struggled this season, despite Paige Bueckers’ standout rookie campaign, and currently sit at the bottom of the WNBA standings. Yet Bueckers is looking ahead, drawing inspiration from Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry in a message to her team.
“Honestly, it’s about sticking with it,” Bueckers said Friday following a 78-100 loss to the Atlanta Dream, marking the Wings’ seventh straight defeat and dropping their record to 9-31. “Whoever’s in the locker room, whoever wears a Wings jersey that night, that’s who we’re going to war with.”
She continued, referencing Curry’s early career struggles: “I remember Steph Curry, before the Warriors became the Warriors. He tweeted something like, ‘Just stick with us. We’re going to figure it out.’ That’s the message I carry… I just have this undying belief in it.”
Curry, the seventh overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, is now regarded as one of the greatest players in NBA history, though he faced challenges early on. Golden State didn’t post a winning record until Curry’s fourth season. Two years later, he, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green led the Warriors to the first of four championships together from 2015 to 2022. Today, the Warriors rank third in NBA history for championships (seven) and Finals appearances (10), behind only the Celtics and Lakers.
While the Wings may not yet be on a similar path, Bueckers appears to have a roadmap. Dallas, formerly the Detroit Shock, has won three WNBA titles, but the Wings’ only winning season since relocating was in 2023 (22-18), when they reached the semifinals.
Bueckers entered the WNBA coming off an NCAA championship with UConn—a program that hasn’t lost more than eight games in a season since 1992-93. From the start, she emphasized that her rookie focus would be on personal growth rather than the win-loss record.
With four regular-season games left, Dallas was officially eliminated from playoff contention last week. Still, Bueckers has shined, positioning herself as the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year. She became the fastest WNBA rookie to reach 500 points and 100 assists, and the quickest to 50 rebounds. On Aug. 21, she scored 44 points against the Los Angeles Sparks, tying Cynthia Cooper-Dyke’s 1997 record for most points in a single rookie game.
The Wings return to action Monday, facing the top-ranked Minnesota Lynx on the road.
