Dwyane Wade showed his true colors about Wings’ Paige Bueckers after being named WNBA ROTY

Paige Bueckers’ first year in the WNBA has not gone unnoticed by fans of the sport, least of all Dwyane Wade.

After being selected with the first pick in the 2025 draft by Dallas Wings, the former UConn closed her season by being officially named WNBA Rookie of the Year, among other records and achievements she conquered.

Dwayne opens up about Paige

Paige averaged 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.6 steals in 36 games played with the Wings, became one of only 10 rookies to start in the All-Star Game and surpassed her personal scoring record in the WNBA (35) and at UConn (40) after her 44 points scored last August 20 in the game against Los Angeles Sparks.

This not only led her to be ROTY and earn the appreciation and admiration of the fans, but also of the former Miami Heat point guard. In a new episode of his podcast “The Timeout”, Dwyane had nothing but praise for the 23-year-old rookie and did not hide his fanaticism for her:

“I’m just a really big fan,” Wade said. “But I’m like, she just looks cool to me, bro. Like, I wanna be her friend. She just looked that kind of cool.”

Furthermore, the three-time NBA champion confessed that he was surprised by how she responded to established veteran Kelsey Plum after a clash during one of the matches, admitting that he didn’t expect such a reaction from a rookie. In this sense, she also highlighted her presence and stance in sharing opinions and earning her place as a player in the league despite her recent arrival is the most admirable thing:

“But the way she passes it on to everything and everybody else makes her even cooler. Like, when she gets on the microphone, what she’s saying, and how she says it, you know, how she stands? She stands on business,” added the current co-owner of the Utah Jazz..

And of course Wade didn’t let Paige’s recent achievement of being chosen as WNBA ROTY pass him by, something that Dwyane assured will continue to expand:

“Rookie of the year, I mean, it’s just the beginning of her in her pro career, and all the awards that she’s going to be up for. Just the way she plays the game. She’s seamless, she’s effortless,” Wade acknowledged.

Despite her great personal achievement, Wings failed to qualify for the Playoffs, finishing in last place with a 10-34 record. Now, she confirmed that she is ready to continue showing her talent in Unrivaled Basketball and for her second year in Dallas and the WNBA.