Imagine you have been working towards a goal your whole entire life, and all of your hard work is paid off by your hometown being named after you. This became a reality for basketball player Paige Bueckers after her town wished her the best of luck for her first game on May 16 as a member of the Dallas Wings. 

Bueckers grew up in Hopkins, Minnesota, where she played basketball for Hopkins High School. According to ESPN, she was named first overall in her class due to how good of a player she was. After graduation in 2020, she continued her growing basketball career at the University of Connecticut. In 2019, she was asked where she saw herself during her senior year of college. 

Bueckers said, “I see myself winning a national championship my senior year, going on strong and then preparing for the WNBA draft and hoping to go as the first pick is what I’d hope for in five years.” 

People like to say Bueckers manifested her future because on April 14, she was drafted as the first pick for the Dallas Wings after UConn won the NCAA championship against South Carolina. According to ESPN, she scored 17 points and had 6 rebounds during the game, helping the team with its 82-59 victory. 

“Through my faith, through God’s purpose, through my teammates, my family, coaches, everyone’s invested a lot in me and part of me wanted to give back to them and show that I can be better and that all their hard work helped me get to this stage. I didn’t do it alone, it’s took a village so I’m extremely grateful for them,” said Bueckers. 

As of now, Bueckers is still celebrating her success while also preparing for the first game being a part of the team. Tune in for the first Dallas Wings game against the Minnesota Lynx on May 16 at 4:30 p.m.