Why Paige Bueckers' success in the Unrivaled League could impact the Wings' draft plans for 2026.
Dallas Wings star has been thriving in the Unrivaled League in her debut season, averaging 24.5 PPG, 6.3 APG, and 6.1 RPG, sitting third league-wide in scoring, second in assists, and 13th in rebounding.
That's an impressive season, and she could be in the running for MVP. With the personal success Bueckers has been enjoying in Unrivaled, could that impact the plans for the Dallas Wings in the 2026 WNBA Draft? Meghan L. Hall ofbelieves so, where she has the Wings selected Awa Fam in her latest mock draft because of the punch Bueckers has had playing alongside Dominique Malonga. "During Unrivaled this offseason, Wings guard Paige Bueckers and Storm center Dominque Malonga have provided blueprint Dallas could replicate. Bueckers and Malonga's one-two punch has worked well, particularly with post-entry passing and scoring opportunities," Hall wrote. "At 6-foot-6, Fam could the potential to duplicate that same setup. Fam is light on her feet and practically floats down the court, moving well in traffic. She also brings three-level scoring Dallas could use to compete with the league's most dynamic post players." Malonga has had an impressive season next to Bueckers in Unrivaled, averaging 16.6 PPG and 9.9 RPG. Getting Bueckers a long-term center in the WNBA could be huge, as the Wings had one of the league's worst defenses, and having someone as mobile as Fam could go a long way toward fixing that.Who the Dallas Wings take at the top of the 2026 WNBA Draft is going to depend on what happens in free agency. They could decide to run it back with Li Yueru and Luisa Geiselsoder, but a long-term building block is needed, too. There is also the potential of Awak Kuier, the team's 2nd overall pick in 2021, returning to the WNBA after spending the last two seasons overseas. Even if she returns, Fam could make sense as an option to have a rotating cast of lengthy, athletic centers to shore up the middle of the defense. Fam is also much younger than most WNBA draft prospects. She's only 19 years old, while UConn's Azzi Fudd is 23 and UCLA's Lauren Betts is 22. Those seem to be the top three draft prospects. Fam has the hypothetical higher ceiling because of her age and athleticism, and she could help Paige Bueckers make the Dallas Wings a consistent contender.Dallas Wings usher in new era with ex-South Florida winning HC to help Paige BueckersAustin Veazey joined NoleGameday as the Lead Basketball Writer in 2019, while contributing as a football writer, and started as editor for MavericksGameday in 2024. Veazey was a Florida State Men’s Basketball Manager from 2016-2019. Follow Austin on Twitter at @EasyVeazeyNG
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