The Dallas Wings on Friday had their sixth day of training camp, and after the practice, reigning Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers was selected to speak with the media.
The sophomore guard touched on a variety of topics, including her defense, learning Jose Fernandez’s offense, and speaking with him about specific changes for the upcoming season.
“This offense is a lot of moving, a lot of screening, a lot of misdirection stuff. So yeah, I think exploits a lot in terms of my off-ball movement, coming off of screens, using screens, and also on ball as well,” said Bueckers.
Fernandez’s offense requires a lot of movement, which is also why the Wings would like to see Bueckers off the ball this year. Something that Wings’ GM Curt Miller shared when he addressed the media on Thursday morning after Wings’ practice. Stating that after being asked how 11-year veteran Odyssey Sims could stick around this season in Dallas.
“Her veteran leadership is key, but also her on-court role. We need to get Paige off the ball at times; it’s hard to be picked up full court and still carry a scoring load. Odyssey allows us to do that. Paige is elite off the ball, but you need a point guard to facilitate that. Odyssey also helps defensively and gives us scoring off the bench.”
Paige Bueckers Speaks on Her Defense And Conditioning
Paige Bueckers was also asked about the new defensive system that the Wings will be installing this season and how she is starting to adjust to it.
“It’s just all out for the entire game and that comes with conditioning and learning the defense and learning the schemes. And just a want to and a will, so I know that I have to set the tone.”
The first-time All-Star averaged 1.6 steals and 0.5 blocks per game this past season.
Three-time WNBA Champion and two-time All-Defensive player Alysha Clark spoke on Thursday about Bueckers being a vocal leader on the court during training camp.
“This is the first time I’ve been around her, and right away, two things stand out. One, she leads by example, which is something I always appreciate from a leadership standpoint. Two, you can see she’s working on being more vocal as a leader this year, she’s talking more in huddles, saying things on the fly when we’re out there on the court,” said Clark.
“That’s what you want, especially from a point guard and a star player. You want that line of communication. She does a great job pulling the best out of everyone, which is also a great character trait to have as a leader. It’s been fun being around her and watching her lead this team.”
Paige Bueckers Reacts To Wings Changes and Makes Others Better
Paige was asked whether she and Fernandez had discussed her role and the roster decisions he’s considering. It’s not something that they spoke about, but she is willing to do whatever the team needs to win every night.
“I mean, whatever the team needs to win on any given night, that’s what it’s about. We have a new roster, a new offensive system, a new defensive system, so I’m just trying to figure out who I am within that, and who I want to be as a leader and as a teammate,” said Bueckers.
“For me, that means making everybody around me better. But everything, for me and for this team, is geared towards winning. Whatever role that looks like on any given night, being more aggressive, more assertive, more vocal as a leader, is something we talked about coming into this season.”