How WNBA Star Paige Bueckers Blocks Out the Noise Off the Court

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For Paige Bueckers, pressure is just part of the play. 

Last year’s WNBA Rookie of the Year had an incredible season, highlighted by a record-breaking performance. She scored 44 points in a game against the Los Angeles Sparks on August 20th – the highest single-game total ever for a WNBA rookie, even though the Dallas Wings lost that game.

Despite these achievements, the 24-year-old still faces difficulties and continues to work through them daily.

Paige Bueckers shared in an interview that she’s learned to prioritize her own perspective and not worry about what others think. She advises focusing on your own journey and staying determined, focused, and present in the moment – essentially, to not compare yourself to others.

Even though the Wings didn’t make the playoffs this season, Bueckers remains unfazed. She’s choosing to concentrate on the guidance she’d offer to any young athlete hoping to succeed.

She emphasized the importance of welcoming challenges and difficulties. She believes life is defined by how we react to setbacks—whether it’s an injury, a loss, or anything else—and that everything should inspire us to move forward with a positive attitude.

This attitude shows the drive she’s taking into the next part of her WNBA career, and it’s why she agreed to a new partnership with CarMax, the official auto retailer of both the NBA and WNBA. She’s joining Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell in CarMax’s “Wanna Drive?” campaign, which highlights people achieving their dreams their own way.

Bueckers jokingly suggested in July that she’d love a car dealership sponsorship – a way to get a car without having to pay for it herself.

It’s so funny looking back at what I wrote! I’m honestly hoping all my wishes come true, because the other big part of my plan was all about finding a house – I really need a realtor or someone who can help me with real estate! It would be amazing if that part came true too.

Paige Bueckers’ new CarMax ad features other prominent WNBA players, like A’ja Wilson and Sabrina Ionescu. Bueckers feels this kind of visibility is really important for increasing the representation of female athletes in media.

She noted a clear increase in enthusiasm, inclusivity, and diverse representation. She believes there’s a lot of positive energy right now and wants to maintain that progress for future generations, building on the foundations laid by those who came before. The goal is to keep this momentum going and see it continue to flourish.

Things are really continuing to build for me! When the WNBA season wraps up, I’m excited to be competing in season two of Unrivaled, the three-on-three basketball league. I’m also already looking forward to next WNBA season with the Dallas Wings, and it’s extra special knowing we have a new head coach, Jose Fernandez – he’s a close friend of my former coach at UConn, Geno Auriemma, which is fantastic!

As a huge fan, it’s so exciting to hear Paige talk about how we’re really building something special here. What I take away from her comments is that the strong base we established last year – the team’s spirit and the kind of players we want – is getting even stronger. Last year was all about new beginnings, and while we’ll have some new faces and challenges this year too, it’s how we work together to navigate them that really matters. It’s not about individual effort, but about growing as a team, and that makes all the difference.

The next season of the WBNA is coming to USA Network in May 2026. 

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2025-11-17 20:20