Do you know what happens when hype meets reality? Well, it guarantees attention but not success. What’s more is that it might even end up restricting the pathways that led you to that point. And now, as Paige Bueckers prepares to step into the WNBA spotlight, all eyes are not just on her performance, but on how the Dallas Wings will handle the Paige Effect. There’s a blueprint out there—a high-profile, real-time case study. Excuse us, Caitlin Clark of course??

In a recent interview, Dallas’ GM Curt Miller made it clear: they’re watching, they’re learning, and they’re setting the tone early. Good for them that they don’t have to find it the hard way. Caitlin Clark was there in her rookie year, shaking up the league while also going through what was probably the first pressure test of the league. Safe to say, she did well, and half of the credit goes to her team. 

Come 2025, and Miller’s trying to set up Bueckers for a similar rise, without letting the pressure crush her. In a recent interview, Miller opened up about Clark’s fast transition to the pros. “Her adjustment was quick and very productive,” he said, setting expectations for Bueckers. But it wasn’t just about what Clark did with the ball. It was how Indiana built the right team around her. “We saw how dangerous Indiana became later in the season,” Miller further noted. “That wasn’t by accident.”

That’s true. Clark had elite players helping her adjust. Kelsey Mitchell was there, steady and experienced. So was Aliyah Boston, who knew how to anchor a team on both ends. NaLyssa Smith gave them another scoring punch. And Erica Wheeler brought off-court mentorship and poise. The Fever wasn’t asking Clark to do it all—they gave her the tools to succeed. But Indiana didn’t stop there. After the season, they focused on adding veteran presence to ground Clark’s game even more. Key offseason decisions included Natasha Howard, a three-time WNBA champion and former Defensive Player of the Year, who was signed in free agency, and DeWanna Bonner, a two-time champion, to strengthen the frontcourt and provide leadership alongside young stars. 

Miller wants to do the same in Dallas. “I think what we all took notice of was how much having the right players around her made a difference,” Miller said. “We’re thinking about how to build a similar environment for Paige, where she can focus on her development without carrying the entire load herself.” But he also knows the job isn’t only about basketball anymore.

“But I think the other thing that we all took notice of around our league is something as simple as security for our players and how to navigate the increased viewership, the increased fandom,” Miller said. “and how our players deserve to be protected and amplified at the same time, really taken care of”. No one can really argue with that.

For Bueckers, who has 2.3 million Instagram followers, Dallas is already planning similar measures. They’ve moved a 2025 home game against Indiana to the 20,000-seat American Airlines Center, expecting a Clark-Bueckers showdown to draw a record crowd. Miller’s point? Protect the player, amplify the star. After all, as Miller said,

it’s a players-first league. Which, notably, brings in the aspect of player security, which was Miller’s broader point. And the Indiana Fever have truly excelled in that manner. Ever since Clark’s arrival, the team has not pocketed any money when it came to taking extra security measures during the games or even traveling.

Miller also brought in another noteworthy point.

 “When I first joined the league, you had to be a six-year vet to not share a hotel room,” he recalled. He further pressed how his job is to create a more comfortable environment for Bueckers, the way Indiana did. The fever team literally created an all-new role in the staff, hiring Jackie Maynard as the associate vice president of basketball communications. Well, beyond the roster, there are more changes. So, we might as well just list them out. 

Fever Offseason Changes

• President: Kelly Krauskopf
• GM: Amber Cox (Interestingly, she came from the Dallas Wings)
• Head coach: Stephanie White
• Assistant coaches: Austin Kelly, Keith Porter
• Video coordinator: Adam Helmer
• Operations coordinator: Danny Lubelfeld

All these changes are not just mere changes, to say it most simply. They do cost. But teams are now looking to invest in player comfort and care. Furthermore, they are borrowing best practices from the men’s side—whether it’s strength training, recovery plans, or how practices are structured.

One thing is for sure. Curt Miller is surely taking not just one, but multiple pages out of Fever’s book. Whether they will translate, that’s something we are yet to uncover. However, the vision is solid, so not much should go wrong. “We’re building a future,” Miller said. So, with Paige Bueckers in the building, the Wings are ready to take that next step.

The Next One: Why Paige Bueckers Is Already Changing the WNBA Before Her First Game

It’s not just the Dallas Wings who are preparing for Paige Bueckers to shake up the WNBA—Caitlin Clark is already rooting for her.

During ESPN’s alternate broadcast of the NCAA title game, Clark sat courtside with Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi. As the conversation turned to Bueckers, Clark spoke up. “She’ll honestly fit right in,” she said. Coming from the face of the league, that statement wasn’t just a compliment—it was a signal to the WNBA that something big is coming.

Clark knows what Bueckers is about to experience. A year ago, Clark caused a seismic shift in the league—selling out arenas, breaking viewership records, and pushing teams to invest more. Charter flights, modern training facilities, and expanded media coverage—Clark raised the bar for the WNBA. Now, with Bueckers entering the league, the spotlight is shifting. Clark is passing the torch, and she’s not doing it quietly.

Clark pointed out that the Dallas Wings’ College Park Center might not be big enough for what’s coming. “They should move every game to American Airlines because I think Paige has that type of draw…she’ll be able to bring those types of fans in,” she said. Her words weren’t flattery—they were a vision of the future. A future where Bueckers, like Clark, draws huge crowds and turns every game into a must-see event.

Dallas is already listening, as we pointed out before. 

But let’s be clear—this isn’t just about empty hype. Clark’s rookie season was transformative. She helped bring in over 17,000 fans per game in Indiana and contributed to a 320% spike in league attendance. Her presence anchored 22 out of 31 WNBA games that broke the one million viewer mark. Indiana took notice, breaking ground on a $78 million training facility, all centered around the idea that Clark’s influence would continue to shape the league.

Now, Paige Bueckers steps into the same spotlight. After leading UConn to a national championship and cementing her status as one of the most accomplished college players, Bueckers is set to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. At 23, she’s healthy, motivated, and already a three-time All-American. The anticipation surrounding her is undeniable—ticket sales for the 2024 draft are already outpacing last year’s frenzy.

Curt Miller, GM of the Dallas Wings, has already started making moves behind the scenes. He’s teased improvements in the team’s infrastructure—better travel, upgraded training spaces, and a more modern approach to player support. Even before Bueckers has played a game, her arrival is already reshaping the Wings’ vision.

This level of preparation is necessary because Bueckers isn’t just the next great talent; she represents a shift in the league’s future. Like Clark before her, Bueckers is a “crown jewel” who could revitalize a team’s presence in the league and turn every game into a spectacle. With the right support, she’ll have the platform to be as impactful as Clark was in her rookie season—and perhaps even more so.

The comparison between Clark and Bueckers is inevitable. Both are game-changers, both are transcendent talents, and both are entering a WNBA poised to capitalize on their star power. But it’s not just about basketball. The WNBA’s evolution is just as much about how the league treats its players. Clark set the tone, and now Bueckers will have her own version of that path—a team that supports her not just on the court, but in every aspect of her career.

The Wings are betting big on Bueckers, not just because of her talent, but because of what she represents for the future of the league.