Rival fans leave her feeling guilty.
Paige Bueckers ‘Feels Bad’ After What Rival Fans Did originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Dallas Wings host the New York Liberty on Friday in the teams’ third meeting in less than two weeks, a rubber match after Dallas won late last month and New York answered with an 85-76 victory on Tuesday.
In that most recent meeting, Jonquel Jones led the Liberty with 15 points and 10 rebounds while Paige Bueckers paced Dallas with 21 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
All three WNBA games on Friday are on ION, with Wings-Liberty tipping at 7:30 p.m. ET in Arlington.
Bueckers enters the rematch managing a back issue that briefly forced her out on Tuesday before she returned to finish the game. She sat out Thursday’s practice and is listed as day-to-day, but Dallas coach Chris Koclanes indicated "she should be fine" for Friday's contest.
In a video posted Friday, Bueckers was asked how it felt to go from arena to arena and have people show out in support across the WNBA, even amongst rival franchises.
Bueckers said, "It's super surreal, just for people to continue to follow my journey and support me throughout every single step of the way. It makes me very appreciative of that."
"Also, in a way, I feel bad because I can't show love and get back to every single one of them," Bueckers continued. "Sign autographs, take pictures... So I feel bad in that aspect, but I do want them to know that I really appreciate their support."
“I feel bad because I can’t show love and get back to every single one of them.” - Paige Bueckers on receiving support across WNBA arenas pic.twitter.com/yQxrpCnMAa
— Natalie Esquire (@natfluential) August 8, 2025
Paige Bueckers on the Dallas Wings: Marketability, Influence and Attention
Bueckers is the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft and a former UConn star whose college resume made her one of the league’s most-watched rookies.
She’s already collected hardware as a pro, earning back-to-back WNBA Rookie of the Month awards for June and July, being the only player in the league who ranks in the top 10 in points, assists and steals per game.
On the season, she’s averaging 18.6 points, 5.4 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game, positioning her as the favorite for Rookie of the Year, even as the Wings navigate a difficult campaign (8-22, last in Western Conference).
Her success isn’t just statistical, though. Since the draft, Bueckers has contributed to:
- Marketability score: Analysts at NorthStar pegged her at 81.18/100, remarkable for a rookie and only slightly behind Caitlin Clark’s 90.26, according to SportsPro.
- Spike in merchandise & ticket sales: The Wings reported a "substantial" increase in both categories, with new "Rebel" and "Explorer" Nike jerseys ($129.99) featuring her name and No. 5 sold within hours of release, per Sports Business Journal.
- Jersey-sales trends:Industry trackers place Bueckers’ jersey among the WNBA’s most recommended and fastest-moving items this season, following in the footsteps of Clark’s 2024 surge.
Most notably, the Wings have sold out several games this season and on June 29, set a new Texas WNBA attendance record with 20,409 fans at American Airlines Center.
Ticket‐demand data also shows an average Dallas home‐game price of $321 (up 74% from last season), making them the WNBA’s most in-demand team alongside the Indiana Fever.
In short, Bueckers is doing for Dallas what Clark did for Indianapolis: a surge in revenue (ticket, merchandise, broadcast) and a measurable increase in regional interest.
As WNBA franchise values climb (now approaching $3.5 billion league‐wide, per Sportico), Bueckers' contributions will be a key data point for investors and sponsors, helping solidify the league's emergence into the mainstream sports conversation.
Related: WNBA Team in Line for Punishment After Indiana Fever Game
Related: WNBA Team Releases Former NCAA Champion Minutes After Trade
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Basketball
