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Wings’ Paige Bueckers faces ex-UConn teammate for 1st time in WNBA
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- Wings’ Paige Bueckers faces ex-UConn teammate for 1st time in WNBA
The post Wings' Paige Bueckers faces ex-UConn teammate for 1st time in WNBA appeared first on ClutchPoints .
Dallas Wings rookie guard Paige Bueckers played alongside many talented players during her time as a UConn Husky. Despite that, Bueckers has emerged as the WNBA's newest young superstar in 2025 . She will play against one of them on Tuesday night when she leads her team against the Golden State Valkyries . She and the Wings take on Kaitlyn Chen and the Valkyries, looking for their first home win of the season.
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Bueckers led the Huskies to the national championship this spring. While Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong were her co-stars, Chen provided crucial scoring and playmaking in the backcourt. Her play throughout the NCAA Tournament impressed WNBA teams enough that the Valkyries selected her in the third round of the draft.
Chen has yet to step foot on the court for Golden State this season. However, the rookie guard makes her WNBA debut against her former college teammate in a highly-anticipated showdown. The Valkyries are without three players, including standout rookie Janelle Salaun, for the time being. They are headed overseas to participate in EuroBasket, a tournament that could run until the end of the month.
Their absence gives Chen an opportunity to prove herself at the professional level. However, she will not have it easy in her debut appearance. No player in the league knows her and her tendencies better than a former teammate that spent a season with her at UConn. However, that could work the other way as well.
Bueckers is the runaway favorite for this year's WNBA Rookie of the Year Award. After scoring 35 points in her return from a concussion and illness, the Wings star earned comparisons to Caitlin Clark . Chen and the Valkyries will be the next team to try and put a stop to her hot stretch.
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If nothing else, the matchup between Chen and Bueckers proves that UConn still produces more WNBA talent than any other university in women's basketball. Those two, along with Aubrey Griffin, were picked during the draft. UConn would have seen four players go had Azzi Fudd decided to turn pro as well.
Chen and her former teammate will share a special moment before the game. However, when the game tips off, she and Bueckers will be all business as they try to fuel their team to a much-needed win.
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