Paige Bueckers Sends Message to Dallas Mavericks' Cooper Flagg

Paige Bueckers Sends Message to Dallas Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

It’s an exciting time to be a basketball fan in the city of Dallas as the Mavericks and Wings drafted the No. 1 picks in both the WNBA and NBA this year. The Wings selected Paige Bueckers back in April, and the Mavericks drafted Cooper Flagg on Wednesday night.

Both Bueckers and Flagg are considered generational prospects—with Bueckers already backing up the hype early in her WNBA rookie season. The Wings combo guard is averaging 17.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.8 steals per game.

Bueckers recently offered encouraging words for her fellow No. 1 pick after hearing his name called on draft night.

“Hey, Cooper, it’s Paige here from the Dallas Wings. From one No. 1 pick to another, just wanted to say congratulations,” Bueckers said in a video posted by the Mavericks. “Super excited to have you here in Dallas. I know you worked extremely hard to get here, so continue to keep trusting your work, and let’s make this city proud. Excited to see you soon, and congratulations again.”

Bueckers attended the Mavericks’ watch party at the American Airlines Center on Wednesday, where she spoke about the high expectations placed on both her and Flagg as top overall selections.

“I’m not really new to expectations, honestly, but they exist,” Bueckers said. “I know Cooper thinks a lot the same, we have expectations for ourselves and the standards we set for ourselves. … Do what has gotten you there, stick to that.”

Dallas is just the second city ever to receive No. 1 overall picks in both the NBA and WNBA drafts in the same year.

Both the Wings and Mavericks will be in good hands for years to come, as the Bueckers and Flagg eras are officially underway.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.

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Paige Bueckers Sends Message to Dallas Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg