For years, the conversation around women’s basketball has included questions about who might follow the meteoric commercial trajectory of Caitlin Clark. With her latest move, Paige Bueckers has taken another definitive step in that direction.
The Dallas Wings star has officially signed a multi-year partnership with CarMax, joining NBA standout Donovan Mitchell for the company’s new “Wanna Drive?” initiative.
The collaboration isn’t just another endorsement, it is a clear signal that Bueckers continues to expand her influence well beyond the court.
In the new campaign, she takes center stage in an ad that amplifies the simplicity of buying a car through CarMax’s advanced digital tools.
The spot highlights Bueckers adjusting to her life in Texas, walking viewers through the streamlined process using the company’s virtual assistant before casually heading in for a fast, hassle-free pickup.
Meanwhile, Mitchell anchors the selling side of the campaign. His segment showcases CarMax’s upgraded approach to online vehicle selling, demonstrating how a customer can complete the entire process digitally and schedule an at-home pickup without ever stepping into a store.
The pairing underscores CarMax’s aim to blend star power from both the WNBA and NBA to emphasize its modern, tech-first approach.
A partnership that aligns with Buecker’s rise
As Bueckers continues to take on a larger public role, partnerships that highlight her personality and marketability help push her into the upper tier of women’s basketball stars – a lane Clark has broadened enormously.
CarMax has a long documented history of featuring major WNBA figures, and adding Bueckers reflects both her appeal and the league’s accelerating momentum.
According to a statement from the CarMax Media Center, Bueckers expressed her enthusiasm for the collaboration, saying: “Partnering with CarMax is such an incredible opportunity. I’ve always admired how CarMax celebrates WNBA athletes and ensures our personalities shine through their ads, so being part of that roster of basketball stars is such an honor.
“I loved that this campaign both celebrated my new life in Texas and showed how CarMax’s technology and flexible options make buying a car so easy.”
Her comments capture exactly why this deal matters. It gives her the visibility, recognition, and opportunity to enhance her marketability to shape the broader landscape around WNBA superstardom.
Bueckers’ on-court impact in 2025
On the floor, Bueckers backed up her growing off-court presence with strong performance during the 2025 WNBA season for the Dallas Wings.
She averaged 19.4 points, 7.1 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 43 percent from the field and 36 percent from three-point range.
Her increased playmaking, ball-handling and clutch shot-making helped position the Wings as one of the league’s most improved squads. That level of production adds considerable substance to her rising brand and reinforces why she’s becoming a top marketing target.
While Clark remains the benchmark for individual star power in the women’s game, endorsements like this one push Bueckers closer to that level.
Partnering alongside an NBA name like Mitchell further elevates her profile, placing her directly in campaigns that reach mainstream sports audiences.
It’s another step toward the commercial tier fans and analysts long believed she could reach – and a sign that the race to reshape the face of women’s basketball is only getting more intriguing.
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