Paige Bueckers has spent most of her career being termed the next Diana Taurasi. As her stature in the WNBA grows, those comparisons only get louder. Now, this Dallas Wings newcomer, who once played with Taurasi, has explained how the two are similar.
“It’s just the personality, how they are, and how they are as a leader,” Sug Sutton said ahead of her Dallas debut against the Aces. “I see DT so much in Paige. It’s amazing to be able to play with DT and see how she was and what she did for our game.
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“I was there for her 10K, and that was an amazing experience. Just to see greatness, to be her teammate, and she expected greatness out of everybody.”
Taurasi’s story is stamped in WNBA history. When she reached 10,000 points in 2023, she created history by becoming the first in the WNBA to do so. It took place in a game against the Dream. Taurasi finished with 42 points, making her, at age 41, the oldest player to score more than 40 points in the league. And that’s the kind of potential many see in Bueckers.
“I know Paige is the same way,” Sutton continued. “You can see it on social media, how Paige is, and I came in today—she’s the same person. I am super excited to be able to get to know her, get to know the whole team, but her [Bueckers] comparison to DT is second to none. She reminds me so much of DT because of her game, her personality, and how she carries herself on the floor.”
The Bueckers comparison with Diana Taurasi is not new. In fact, it had been around when Paige Bueckers was just 11 years old.
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“Remember the name: Paige Bueckers. 6th grade, think Diana Taurasi. Best 6th grade G I’ve ever seen. St. Louis Park,” Gary Knox, a photojournalist, predicted back in 2013.
His post on X, which accompanied a smiling 11-year-old Bueckers standing on a court, went viral when Bueckers was drafted. But how did Knox predict something like this?
Well, back in 2013, he was at Hopkins High in Minnesota to support his daughter. That’s when he witnessed Bueckers, a sixth grader at St. Louis Park Middle School, absolutely dominating the court, which was full of 9th and 10th graders. He immediately knew she was special. But it doesn’t end here.
UConn boss Geno Auriemma explained that both Taurasi and Bueckers are “exceptional con artists” and want to get their way. He also revealed that both are ideal teammates on and off the court.
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“They have a flare for the moment,” Auriemma said in April 2025. “They can summon up something that’s needed at the time when it’s exactly needed. They take responsibility for what happens. They’re not afraid of the criticism that might come if they fail. And I don’t think anybody loves being in the gym more than those two.”
However, Bueckers has always wanted to form her own place within the game instead of being the next Taurasi.
“They’ve compared my game to DT, and that’s really cool. I love that,” an 18-year-old Bueckers told WSLAM in 2019. “Being compared to that good of a player is just a blessing, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world, but just being able to be the first Paige Bueckers, I think that’s what I want.”
She admitted to having been inspired by Taurasi’s game as well. In fact, the legend herself predicted that Bueckers would become the best player in the league, even before she had played a WNBA game.
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As UConn graduates, the two have a close relationship and also appeared in a friendly golf competition together. For now, Bueckers has a mountain to climb if she has to match Diana Taurasi’s legacy. Considering her Rookie Of The Year and All-WNBA start to her career, Bueckers has certainly shown the potential to do so.
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The post “I See DT”: Newly Signed Dallas Guard Compares Paige Bueckers to 3x WNBA Champion Ahead of Aces Clash appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
