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Valkyries’ Kaitlyn Chen tips off WNBA debut with Paige Bueckers reunion
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- Valkyries’ Kaitlyn Chen tips off WNBA debut with Paige Bueckers reunion
The post Valkyries' Kaitlyn Chen tips off WNBA debut with Paige Bueckers reunion appeared first on ClutchPoints .
A heartwarming reunion took place between two former UConn women's basketball stars just before Tuesday night's game between the Golden State Valkyries and the Dallas Wings at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas.
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Rookies Paige Bueckers of the Wings and Kaitlyn Chen of the Valkyries met each other on the sidelines, as captured in a video shared by the WNBA in its official X (formerly Twitter) account.
Chen did not see action in any of Golden State 's' first 10 games of the 2025 WNBA regular season, as she had just been re-signed by the Valkyries . She was selected in the third round of the 2025 WNBA draft by the Valkyries and saw action for them in the preseason but was later waived by the team.
After signing a contract with the 3×3 Basketball Association (3XBA), Chen found her way back to Golden State on a new contract, giving her an opportunity to share the floor in a WNBA game for the first time ever with Bueckers. Chen and Bueckers played a season together with UConn in the 2024-25 college basketball campaign, during which they helped the Huskies win a national title.
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Bueckers spent four seasons with the Huskies before entering the WNBA draft and getting selected by the Wings first overall. Chen, on the other hand, suited up for the Princeton Tigers before transferring to UConn. In her lone season with the Huskies, Chen put up averages of 6.9 points, 3.4 assists, 1.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals, while shooting 51.4 percent from the field and 35.4 percent from behind the arc through 40 games (all starts).
As for the Valkyries, they entered the Wings game looking to sustain their scorching form. Golden State carried a three-game win streak into the date with Bueckers and company following triumphs over the Las Vegas Aces , Los Angeles Sparks and Seattle Storm . The Wings, on the other hand, are in a much worse state, having won just one of their first 11 games of the season. After win over the Connecticut Sun on May 27, the Wings have lost seven games in a row, as they hope to snap that skid in this matchup versus Chen and the Valkyries.
Related: Valkyries not making 'excuses' for letdown vs. Paige Bueckers' Wings
Related: Geno Auriemma praises former UConn player amid Valkyries' 'surprise' hot start
