Sue Bird Offers Bold Prediction for Wings If They Take Paige Bueckers With No. 1 Pick

Dallas's prayers were answered Sunday.
Paige Bueckers drives to the basket during No. 2 Connecticut's 86–49 win over South Florida on Nov. 10, 2024.
Paige Bueckers drives to the basket during No. 2 Connecticut's 86–49 win over South Florida on Nov. 10, 2024. / David Butler II-Imagn Images
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The most visible season in WNBA history was not a fun one for the Dallas Wings.

The team slumped to a 9-31 record on the heels of three straight playoff appearances, firing coach Laticia Trammell after the worst season for the franchise by winning percentage since 2011—when they were known as the Tulsa Shock.

However, Sunday provided a light at the end of the tunnel as the Wings won the WNBA draft lottery. In all probability, Dallas will use the pick on highly touted Connecticut guard Paige Bueckers.

In the estimation of future Hall of Fame guard Sue Bird, that potential selection would make the Wings a team to watch right away.

"If Dallas does have Paige because of the No. 1 pick, (guard) Arike (Ogunbowale) who is already there, and they re-sign (forward) Satou (Sabally), that big three will be up there with all the other big threes," Bird said on her podcast A Touch More With Sue Bird & Megan Rapinoe.

Ogunbowale has been an All-Star each of the last four seasons, while Sabally was the league's Most Improved Player in 2023 before a shoulder injury cost her most of '24.

If the stars align for Dallas as Bird suggests, it will have a dangerous squad in 2025 indeed.

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Patrick Andres
PATRICK ANDRES

Patrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history .