The 2025 WNBA Draft class is filled with plenty of talented players. Projected top picks Paige Buckers, Olivia Miles, and Dominique Malonga are widely expected to be stars at the WNBA level. Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen, Shyanne Sellers, Te-Hina Paopao, Azzi Fudd, and Georgia Amoore, among others, also come with plenty of potential.
Bueckers, especially, is expected to change a team’s fortune, much like Caitlin Clark did for the Fever. The UConn star will draw a huge fandom to whichever team lands her in the draft. So, the Dallas Wings were understandably thrilled when they won the lottery and the number one pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, edging out the Los Angeles Sparks.
However, rumors quickly emerged that Bueckers was not thrilled about the idea of joining the Dallas Wings. Wings’ GM Curt Miller recently spoke about the situation and the fact that he felt the need to speak out about rumors should tell fans something about potential issues with the Wings’ organization.
Curt Miller spoke out about Paige Bueckers rumors
The rumors that Bueckers is not a fan of the Dallas Wings are still around and recently gained some new traction because Curt Miller spoke about it.
He told the Dallas Morning News, “We have not heard anything directly that any person eligible for this draft would not want to play in Dallas. In fact, Arike hears from most of the top possible draft picks in this class, and they’re all really excited about possibly pairing with Arike.”
The fact that Miller felt the need to address the rumors instead of just ignoring them, suggests that the Wings are somewhat bothered by them and how they make the organization look.
Things also did not go well for the Wings this offseason. Natasha Howard and Satou Sabally—two of the Wings’ three best players in the 2024 season—were determined to leave Dallas in free agency. Howard signed with the Indiana Fever, helping them build a contender around Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston, and Sabally was traded to the Phoenix Mercury, joining forces with Alyssa Thomas and Kahleah Copper.
Having two stars who are incredibly vocal about their desire to leave, is never a good look for an organization and does not speak to the Wings’ ability to build a contender around Arike Ogunbowale. The Wings got some interesting players, like Ty Harris, DiJonai Carrington, and NaLyssa Smith, this offseason, but they do not look like a contender. That would look quite different if Sabally had not wanted to leave.
While there is no guarantee that Bueckers will try to avoid landing with the Wings, the fact that two key players wanted to leave the organization and the GM felt the need to address the rumors, suggests that the Wings may have some issues to sort out. It seems Dallas is not necessarily an organization top players want to join at the moment. If they want to build a contender around Arike Ogunbowale, that has to change.