Paige Bueckers, the 2025 first-overall pick in the WNBA Draft, makes strong headlines for something other than her fascinating ability to get to the hoop. Despite who she is or where she comes from, Bueckers’ passion for standing up for equality in her industry is something to behold.
In a recent Time magazine article, the Dallas Wings’ rookie speaks eloquently and feverishly about “white privilege.” A girl growing up in Hopkins, Minnesota, Bueckers has no problem telling people her idols as a child, mainly Black superstars in the game. Yet, she believes they remain lesser known than they should be because of the media.
“It’s [Underrepresentation and incongruent sponsorships] still an issue every single day,” she said in the May 5 article. “There’s not ever equal coverage. There’s white privilege every single day that I see. I feel like I’ve worked extremely hard and am blessed by God. But I do think there are more opportunities for me.”
Bueckers is a national champion with UConn, where she averaged 19.8 PPG, shooting 53 percent field goals and 42 percent from beyond the 3-point arc. Time noted Nike, Uber, and Gatorade already signed her in college. She was the first Nike NIL athlete to play in her own sneakers. Thanks to sponsorships, she will make $350,000 next season—more than what the Dallas Wings will pay her in four years.
“I feel like even just marketability, people tend to favor white people, white males, white women,” she continued. “I think it should be equal opportunity. I feel like there is privilege to what I have and to what all white people have. I recognize that I want to counteract that with the way I go about my business.”
Her comments reflect what another White WNBA supernova said on David Letterman’s Netflix show, “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction,” Caitlyn Clark.
“I definitely have privilege,” the Indiana Fever point guard said. “A lot of Black women that grew up making this league what it is…And they deserve all the credit; thee more we can give credit to them, the better. I’m very aware of that, and I know that, and I think there is responsibility for acknowledging that.”
“Paige Buckets” is consistent. At the 2021 ESPYs, where she was awarded Best Female College Athlete, she gave a stirring speech that took her spotlight and focused directly on the issue she feels needs to be addressed.
WNBA player Paige Bueckers:
“As a white woman who leads a black led sport…I want to shed a light on black women. They don’t get the media coverage they deserve.”
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) May 6, 2025
“With the light that I have now as a white woman who leads a Black-led sport and celebrated here, I want to show a light on Black women,” she said on the ESPN awards stage. “They don’t get the media coverage that they deserve. They’ve given so much to the sport, and the community, and society as a whole, and their value is undeniable.”
Now that she is officially a professional in the WNBA, her star is brighter than ever. What’s encouraging is that she will always give her Black teammates the shine they deserve no matter how bright it gets.
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