According to Diana Taurasi, the WNBA will soon be at the mercy of Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers. While she believes it will take some time, Taurasi sees the Bueckers dominating the league once the Wings give her the right pieces to work with.

Taurasi, who many believe is the greatest player in WNBA history, singled out Bueckers as the future of the league in a recent interview with The Athletic. When asked if she believes that Bueckers has the potential to become the best player in the league, the 42-year-old “absolutely” agreed.

“Paige's instincts on the court are incredible, and it takes a special skill and talent when you can galvanize a group of people,” Taurasi said, via The Athletic. “I've been around her long enough to know that once they get the right group around her, things will change because of her skill set and her ability to distribute and score. Paige just has tremendous talent, and once it's unlocked, I'm going to be really excited to watch her play.”

The Wings took Bueckers, one of the most-hyped women's basketball players of all time, first overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft. Dallas also hired Chris Koclanes as its next head coach, officially signaling the start of a new era.

Before drafting Bueckers, the Wings revolved around four-time All-Star Arike Ogunbowale. Despite Ogunbowale's success as a scorer, Dallas is now fully committed to building around Bueckers, who has already taken over the offense. Through four games, Bueckers is fifth in the league with 6.3 assists per game.

Diana Taurasi's relationship with Wings star Paige Bueckers

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WNBA All-Star Diana Taurasi reflects on her 20 seasons with the Phoenix Mercury during a retirement news conference at the Phoenix Mercury's practice facility on March 13, 2025.
Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With Taurasi retiring following the 2024 WNBA season, she never got the chance to play with Bueckers. However, the two share a close bond off the court, with the now-retired legend mentoring the 23-year-old budding star.

Taurasi and Bueckers share a connection to UConn, where they both spent their collegiate careers. When Bueckers passed Taurasi on UConn's all-time scoring list, the latter was among the first to congratulate her on the milestone achievement.

UConn has no shortage of legendary alumni when it comes to women's basketball. However, Taurasi and Bueckers share many similarities in their careers. From the level of hype they landed in Storrs with to becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft, there are many reasons fans see shades of Taurasi in Bueckers.