Paige Bueckers has taken the Unrivaled by storm. We all saw her capability when she took the WNBA realm by storm last year. Picking up the Rookie of the Year award, Bueckers established herself as one of the biggest female basketball stars.
Coming into the Unrivaled this season, the 23-year-old rookie has a lot of expectations on her shoulders. Thankfully, she has stood up to all of that in some style! With the tournament in mid-season, Bueckers is already among the top 3 performers. And while the rookie star has already tasted success in both the WNBA and Unrivaled, she recently dropped an interesting comparison between the two.
Unrivaled More Physical Than The WNBA: Paige Bueckers Says So
The Wings star is making waves for the Breeze BC at the moment. And adjusting to the 3-on-3 format, the 23-year-old had one of the biggest adjustments to make. According to Bueckers, Unrivaled’s shorter format expands the field significantly, putting stress on the defense.
She also pointed out that the physicality is much more in the Unrivaled than what the WNBA had to offer.
Speaking on the same, Bueckers said, “Yeah, I think the physicality one. We all know that the W is physical, but on right? But I feel like it’s even more physical than that, and then not being able to have help side, like you’re basically on the island, so at points you’re gonna have to be okay with getting cooked.”
23.9 PPG. 6.4 APG. 3 Game-Winners.@paigebueckers1 says 3v3 basketball is more physical, but she's making it look easy 🔥😮💨 pic.twitter.com/TfWscxZaz5
— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) January 29, 2026
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Surely, Bueckers made her point known. But looking at her performance, it does not look like she is facing a problem in the league. In the first five games, the Breeze BC star shot 13-for-13 free throws, enabling her to pocket a whopping $50,000 free throw challenge. Meanwhile, earning her fellow mates’ praise, Bueckers received a heartfelt shoutout from Dominique Malonga.
Dominique Malonga Is Elated About Having Paige Bueckers As Her Teammate
Malonga recently created quite a buzz with her thunderous dunk. And as the female basketball realm got talking, Malonga had some very interesting points of view to share.
Speaking about Bueckers’ impact on her game, Malonga stated, “It’s been amazing. She’s a great playmaker, she sees the floor very well — I just have to be ready anytime because I know with her, I can get that ball all the time.”
Dominique Malonga on playing with Paige Bueckers in #Unrivaled:
— Wendell Epps (@epps_wendell) January 25, 2026
“It’s been amazing. She’s a great playmaker, she sees the floor very well — I just have to be ready anytime because I know with her, I can get that ball all the time.” pic.twitter.com/g5onfwHasO
Thus, with the future looking bright for Bueckers, fans will surely wait to see how she performs in the upcoming WNBA season.