Paige Bueckers' star power is contagious. The Dallas Wings rookie got one of her "dream celebrities" to come visit her during the Wings and Los Angeles Sparks game on Wednesday, Aug. 20. During WNBA All-Star Weekend, Bueckers told reporters that her dream celebrities to have in the stands were Ellen Pompeo and Shemar Moore.

The WNBA is seeing a massive growth in popularity, and a lot of that is due to young superstars Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers. Clark's style of play has been immensly popular since her days at Iowa, while Bueckers has lit the WNBA on fire in her rookie campaign, putting up one of the better rookie seasons we've seen in recent memory.

However, after her historic 44-point performance against the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday night, veteran sportscaster Dan Patrick says the people now remember who Bueckers is. And now that Paige has made the front page again, Dan says the WNBA's real rivalry may have finally arrived.

Paige Bueckers dropped a rookie-record 44 points with her dream guest courtside, delivering under the pressure.

Profile Dutch Auction for Bueckers On Friday, August 22, at 3 p.m. ET, Panini launches one of its most anticipated WNBA cards of 2025: a Paige Bueckers Panini WNBA Instant Access 1/1 autograph, inscribed “1st All-Star Game.

Paige Bueckers cemented herself as the 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year on Wednesday night with a historic 44-point performance, but her Dallas Wings were stunned at the buzzer by Kelsey Plum, who lifted the Los Angeles Sparks to an 81-80 victory that kept their playoff hopes alive.

Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers has maintained a close relationship with Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren.