Paige Bueckers is making the most of every opportunity to improve her game. Fresh off earning the most fan votes in this year’s WNBA All-Star voting, the Dallas Wings star spent the first day of her All-Star break learning from one of basketball’s greatest scorers.
After working out with 16-time NBA All-Star Kevin Durant in Chicago, Bueckers admitted the session showed her just how much she can still learn.
Advertisement
Paige Bueckers Reflects on the Lessons She Took From Working Out With Kevin Durant
The workout took place in late July at ITAV Academy on Chicago’s South Side, where Bueckers joined Durant for a baseline shooting session led by renowned skills trainer Adam P. Harrington.
While Durant continues preparing for his second season with the Houston Rockets, Bueckers wasted no time beginning her All-Star break, reportedly taking a 5:00 a.m. flight to Chicago after playing the night before against the Portland Fire.
Advertisement
Durant noticed the commitment immediately. “You a machine bro, you was just playing last night,” Durant told Bueckers.
Speaking with Dallas Wings reporter Myah Taylor after the workout, Bueckers explained why the experience meant so much to her.
“That was really cool. It’s really fun to see his footwork and his balance and how low he plays as a — I mean, I think he’s almost seven feet tall and he was getting way lower than me just in asking him questions about it. He’s been working on it for a very long time.”
“So I see the work and I see how much further along he is than me. And just watching the little nuances of his game that have made him one of the best scorers of all time in the NBA. So it was great to work out with him and Adam. Very blessed and grateful to get that opportunity.”
Advertisement
Durant has long been regarded as one of the most efficient scorers in NBA history. Standing nearly seven feet tall with guard-like ball-handling skills, his ability to create space through footwork and balance has helped him become a two-time NBA champion, two-time Finals MVP, and one of the highest scorers the game has ever seen.
Those are exactly the details Bueckers wanted to study.
Rather than focusing on flashy moves, she paid close attention to Durant’s fundamentals — how low he gets into his stance, how he creates separation, and how years of repetition have refined every movement. It reflects the same mindset that has made Bueckers one of the WNBA’s fastest-rising stars.
Her individual success has mirrored Dallas’ turnaround this season.
Advertisement
After a disappointing campaign a year ago, when the Wings finished at the bottom of the standings despite Bueckers earning Rookie of the Year honors, Dallas has emerged as one of the league’s biggest surprises.
The Wings enter the second half of the season with an 18-9 record, good for fourth place in the WNBA standings, and have won seven of their last eight games.
Bueckers has been the driving force behind that resurgence. She is averaging 20.9 points, 6.2 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game while leading the Wings in both scoring and assists.
Advertisement
Her ability to control the offense has established her as one of the faces of the league’s next generation alongside Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark.
The Wings and Bueckers return to action against the Atlanta Dream on Wednesday.
