Bueckers is no stranger to finding herself in the company of ‘GOATs’ when it comes to breaking records. Maya Moore would attest to that. And Gary Knox, a photojournalist who had compared a 6th-grade Paige to a legend of Diana Taurasi. But this time, the comparisons have nothing to do with her skills on the ball. And while the former UConn standout might have evaded the whistle, her behavior may land her in trouble moving forward. For now, she’s given the fans a moment they’ll be cracking up over for quite a while.
An incident from the game between the Dallas Wings & Minnesota Lynx is now doing rounds on the internet. Bueckers’ humor was on full display during the matchup & the unfortunate recipient this time was Lynx star Jessica Shepherd.
In a clip posted by ESPN, Bueckers was seen losing her cool as she hilariously demanded the refs to call a travel on the Lynx forward. “Hey! 15 travels everytime that she touches it,” Bueckers said while pointing at the ref. Despite a sellout crowd at the Target Center, Bueckers’ frustration with the refs was heard loud and clear. And as the incident hit the internet, comparisons to her fellow UConn alum, Diana Taurasi, spread like wildfire.
While we could narrate a thousand incidents highlighting Taurasi’s trash-talking ability, a comment from the late great Kobe Bryant will suffice.
“15 travels everytime that she touches it” – Paige to the ref pic.twitter.com/gfzkgBxEzP
— Shabazz (@ShowCaseShabazz) May 22, 2025
When DT overtook Tina Thompson as the all-time WNBA leading scorer, Kobe congratulated her and gave her a nickname of the highest honor. “The White Mamba”, a spinoff of his own legendary nickname. Kobe was known to be a brutal trash talker and backed it up with an unparalleled work ethic, something that Taurasi is also well known for. And while the jabs might appear harsh to some, DT’s former teammate Shey Peddy underscores it’s just playful banter.
“She gets on people. Just some of her combination of words — like, how do you even think of that?” she said. “Sometimes she might get a technical for it, and I know a few times I’m talking to the ref like, ‘She didn’t mean that. She’s just joking around.’ She can be, uh, pretty ruthless out there. I think that’s what I love about it. She’s got no filter, at all.”
Although Paige’s first comparison to Taurasi came when she was just a 6th grader, she would be glad to know she’s lived up to the billing, with the comparisons still very much alive. As she looks more at home with every passing game, the Wings’ fans’ love continues to grow for her. And with Paige displaying “Mamba mentality” of her own, the fans were bound to react.
Fans react to Paige talking trash
One of the fans made the obvious comparison between Paige and Taurasi, playfully asking the WNBA legend to get a hold on Bueckers. “@DianaTaurasi come get your girl.” The comment was sure to delight Taurasi, who has expressed her liking of Bueckers on multiple occasions in the past. On one such instance, Taurasi was presented with a hypothetical choice between Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers as a teammate, Taurasi laughed, and said “Paige, next question?” While many perceived it as DT’s dislike for Caitlin Clark, it was really just a display of the close relationship the former Huskies share.
Speaking of Huskies, another fan pointed out how savagery runs in Geno Auriemma’s players. “UCONN girlies have no chill. LMAO” the fan posted on X. But let us tell you, no one does like DT. No one from UConn in the W, in fact, has. Tina Charles, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier– they admit not leaning towards that. So if Taurasi has a successor in that aspect, it’s Paige.
“Truly her disciple,” one wrote, speaking of DT again. The Mercury legend spared no one. Especially not the rookies. Caitlin Clark gave an account of that last season when they were playing at Taurasi’s home. “She fouled me like pretty hard, kind of from behind,” she admitted, emphasising the Mercury guard was probably the only one to trash talk her. While Paige hasn’t gotten that intense yet, she sure isn’t letting things slide.
Even in the first preseason game, she did not let the ref calls just pass by without confronting the officials. Fans were excited then when she was seen having a word with referee Isaac Barnett following a shooting call, though looking level-headed. This time, they loved it a little more, getting to hear what Paige had to say. “This the clearest sh-t I ever heard in my life she not even mic’d up” posted the fan. Despite a sellout crowd of 20,000 coming out for the game, Paige made sure the ref heard her complaints. And although her trash talking sure gets under the players’ skins, throwing them off their game, a fan warns of such behavior towards the refs.
“She’s lucky the ref didn’t blow that whistle” the fan commented, warning Paige of a technical foul. And while it is important that Paige knows where to draw the line, it is also crucial that Paige remains herself so as to make her mark. And with comparisons to the elite ball players flowing in already, Bueckers will have no worries in that department.
The post Fans See Diana Taurasi in Paige Buckers as Camera Catches Dallas Wings Rookie’s Savagery Over Minnesota Lynx Star appeared first on EssentiallySports.