Paige Bueckers & Arike Ogunbowale a Backcourt Worth Fearing

Paige Bueckers is a rookie only in name. Bueckers might be in her rookie season but her game is that of a 10 year veteran. The command she has of the game is as if she has played it before. Anyone watching the game can notice she does not look or play like a rookie. It’s as if the moment was built around her, not the other way around.

And yet, next to her in the Dallas Wings backcourt is the perfect backcourt mate in Arike Ogunbowale. The superstar All-WNBA performer who’s six seasons deep into her WNBA career but still plays like she just cracked the starting lineup in her first game at Notre Dame.

The joy’s still there, the hunger still fresh.

Now? Ogunbowale has a backcourt mate that can rival anyone in the league.

Read that again. They literally, can rival any one in the league.

Together? They’re going to be a problem.

The Joy Transfer

In a 119–52 preseason clinic against the Toyota Antelopes, Arike and Paige didn’t just clock in, they looked like they had been playing together for years.

They each played sparingly, only 20 minutes a piece. However, during the the time they shared on the court

That was more than enough.

We got the message, and so did the Antelopes

Thanks to Curt Miller, the backcourt of the Dallas Wings has leveled up. The spark? Paige Bueckers. If anyone looks at Arike Ogunbowale’s grin on the court, it’s clear.

Ogunbowale’s been recharged.

One can see it in her eyes after Arike splashed yet another three during a 119–52 preseason blitz over the Toyota Antelopes. Ogunbowale finished with four three point makes and 17 points during the game  shooting 57% from 3pt and 66% from the floor. .

There’s something different this season, Arike is playing a lot more alive and a big part of that is the rookie who came in, not just playing basketball, but playing her brand of basketball: smooth, intentional, poised.

“I think Paige gets you easy buckets even when you think she doesn’t see you,” Arike Ogunbowale.

It’s not just the basketball; it’s the emotional shift. The joy that Arike brought into this league as a rookie seems to have stuck with her. But now, it’s reignited. Thanks to the rookie who doesn’t need to be the star of the show, just the right teammate.

For Arike, this isn’t a partnership built on scoring titles or flashy highlights, it looks as if this is a partnership built on trust.

A rookie who can see things before they happen, a veteran who’s been playing with joy so long it’s practically in her DNA. Together, they create something smoother than a fast break, more lethal than any one-player attack.

A Rookie Leading the way 

From the jump, Bueckers looked like someone who had already figured out how to make the game bend to her will

Nothing is ever rushed. There is no wasted steps. No wasted movements. All tactical and all strategic.

Bueckers is composed, sharp and it’s only leaves room to the imagine, what happens when she starts to become even more aggressive. But that composure doesn’t come from ego, it comes from environment.

“Just finding that level of comfort every single day… it’s a very comfortable environment here,” Paige said, capturing that secret sauce of confidence and ease that permeates the Wings’ locker room. “We’re willing to listen to each other, and we all want to win. Coach empowers us to lead from where we are regardless of experience.”

That part—“regardless of experience”—says everything. Paige doesn’t act like a rookie because nobody’s treating her like one, nor should they. The Dallas Wings don’t have time for hierarchy. Curt Miller did not create this roster to become a middling team. They have buckets to get. And Bueckers? She’s already fluent in the language of leadership.

The poise has always been elite, but now Bueckers in a system that lets her steer without having to shout and that’s dangerous for the rest of the league.

However, don’t let the smooth flow fool you—the relationship between Paige & Arike has already taken root.

Arike’s been in the league for six years, and Paige is still finding her footing. Yet, the synergy between them is evident—two players who, despite different stages in their careers, have already built trust.

What’s striking here is the trust. It’s not often you see a rookie walk into an environment and own it with the same level of leadership as Arike, and still manage to pull Arike into that shared leadership. Two players who understand each other not through years of playing together, but by understanding each other’s pace and rhythm in real-time.

Paige’s leadership isn’t about volume; it’s about presence. The rookie’s calm under pressure helps the team stay steady, even in high-stress moments. She’s not forcing plays, not hunting for individual glory. And that’s exactly what Arike needed: a co-pilot, a sharer of the spotlight, someone who would help shoulder the load.

Two Conductors of One Offense

And this offense? It’s more than just about scoring.

Yes, Arike’s still putting up 17 points in 20 minutes, and Paige is dropping 15, but it’s not the numbers, it’s how those points come. The game looks like it’s happening in one smooth exhale, like a fine-tuned orchestra, where Paige conducts from the top, and Arike finishes the note. It’s that rare blend of scoring and playmaking that’s become the backbone of Dallas’ new-look backcourt.

 

“We have great players who are going to draw a lot of attention… players like Paige and DiJonai… they’re going to get me easy buckets, so I’m excited about that” Arike Ogunbowale.

It tracks, Arike had 17 points on 6-for-9 shooting, including 4-of-7 from deep, and six assists. Paige added 15 points (6-for-8), five boards, and six assists of her own.

While Arike is already a proven scorer, the way she’s now able to operate off Paige’s movement? That’s something different.

Thanks to head coach Chris Koclanes, the Wings are getting free-flowing offense in transition and from the halfcourt. They scored 80 points in the paint, 27 fast-break points, and 54 points from the bench. That’s not just a product of talent—it’s the product of two players choosing to make the extra pass, setting each other up to succeed.

Wings Up

The Dallas Wings are not only talented, this roster was intentional. This roster wasn’t thrown together. It was cast.

 

“It’s just the personalities,” Arike said. “I think the front office did a good job picking… we want each other to do well” Arike Ogunbowale.

It’s clear from the preseason that the Wings are setting themselves up for a dangerous future.

“More time together, we’re just going to become more lethal… we have a lot of great pieces, so I’m excited about that.”

Those “great pieces” aren’t just individual talents—they’re players who complement each other’s strengths.

It might’ve been a preseason game, but the game tape will tell a different story. One where a rookie and a star aren’t just coexisting—they’re leading together. Building a backcourt that could change the WNBA’s power structure.

It’s just the beginning.