Before the draft set things to paper, Paige Bueckers was in similar shoes to A’ja Wilson’s from last year. When one talked about the unanimous MVP last year, it was almost shocking if Wilson’s name didn’t come up. Now, in 2025, can you try imagining a pre-draft conversation that didn’t have Bueckers in the same place? Yes, we did not think so. And well, as is obvious, there were plenty of reasons. And Paige Bueckers capped them off with the perfect Hollywood ending. After four years of disappointments, she finally delivered a championship to Storrs. And lived both their dreams, while being at the forefront of things.

After the win, it was almost like Bueckers could not catch a breath. Projected as the No.1 pick, all eyes were on her. It is fair to say that she might even be the most universally loved figure in women’s basketball at the time. On the court, she’s a force. Off it, she’s admired for her charisma and the way she speaks up for what she believes in. There’s so much to love about the now Dallas Wings superstar!

But if there’s anyone who might not be throwing flowers her way right now, it’s probably Gamecock alum A’ja Wilson! That’s what you’d think, right? Well, think again after listening to the two instances we have to share. Wilson might not be as fazed as many expect her to be, just because her alma mater did not win.

In an interview with Mackenzie Salmon of USA TODAY Sports, A’ja Wilson opened up about how she felt watching Paige Bueckers wrap up her college career with a storybook ending. “I mean, obviously my Gamecocks didn’t win, but I feel like I just got a sense of happiness and joy with how much love and respect that you know the NCAA tournament was about when it came on to the women’s side… Paige, I feel like she did a phenomenal job–had an incredible career and journey with UConn. That was just the cherry on top of her amazing journey at UConn. So I was happy on both sides.”

Does that sound bitter to you? Wilson isn’t just praising her sportsmanship, no, she is holding her to the standards of being a game-changer for women’s basketball. And this isn’t even the first time she has praised her. So, honestly, not even shocking. But you might remember that instance in a different light, we guess, as Wilson basically got flamed for her comments then.

It happened last year during the final four when Wilson was discussing Bueckers with Plum as they watched Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes edge out UConn. “Us, as Black women, Paige reminds me a lot of you,” Wilson told Plum. “She knows how her privilege has gotten her to that point. And also, she’s good at basketball, obviously. She understands her privilege. It’s like what pushes her over the top in a sense. It reminds me a lot of you. And I mean, that’s a compliment”. You can almost sense the immediate panic in her words once she must have realized how misinterpretation runs rampant on social media. While that comment made waves and not in a good manner for Wilson, it is clear she was praising Bueckers.

But this time around, she chose her words very carefully, almost poetically. In that same interview, Wilson was asked what she liked most about the Wings’ newest addition. The Aces star didn’t hesitate to praise the way the number 1 pick of the draft carries herself, both on and off the court. “Her composure,” Wilson said. “She plays like with a sense of I’ve been here before. Whether it’s a championship game or it’s the first game of the season, her composure is something that has really stuck with me and how she just carries herself on an off the court is just gonna go so far.”

Talking about going far, just days before, Wilson had even torn a page out of her book and handed it to Bueckers. Almost as carefully folded as Jane Austen’s handwritten letters.

A’ja Wilson urges Bueckers to pray

A’ja Wilson is entering her eighth WNBA season. So, of course, she knows more than a thing or two about adjusting in the league. Adjusting, you see, which is the most talked-about thing once a player gets drafted. No one has escaped from its hidden pits, not even Caitlin Clark.

And Paige Bueckers is entering the league as a rookie with the expectations of not just delivering on the court but bringing in a million more pairs of eyes to the league. As promising as this chapter is, it also seems daunting. Understandably, Bueckers would need veterans to help her out.

Wilson understands, and that is why she was right there, delivering to the task at hand like a big sister. “I think the biggest thing that I can share is that life is going to come at you fast,” Wilson told SI. “I feel like we have one of the greatest transitions. I mean, you go from Final Four, to the draft, to training camp so quickly. So I would say just take a moment. I pray. So I’d say to take a moment and pray, and just be grateful at where you are, because the best is yet to come.”

Making her faith in the star clear, she further said, “Honestly, [Bueckers] has a great career ahead of her. She’s gonna go to a great team, and she can just really be herself, soak up all the knowledge that she can, and before she knows it she’ll be in year eight! So [my advice would be] just really being in the moment and understanding that she deserves to be in our league“.

Paige Bueckers in year eight??? That’s something to daydream about and we’ll leave you with that.