The 2026 season was very special in many ways, with the CBA terms and the addition of new franchises to the league. While both had a huge impact on league operations, the franchises also had the chance to reshuffle their rosters through free agency, with over 100 talented stars and All-Stars available. The Wings too opportunity to build around their cornerstone player, Paige Bueckers, and added Alanna Smith, Alysha Clark, and Jessica Shepard.
While the franchises now have their rosters ready to challenge for the championships, the GMs got another chance to vote on their cornerstone player to build around a new franchise. While The Wings’ coach listed out the qualities that make Bueckers a coachable player, she earned backing from other GMs, too, with their voting.
WNBA GMs See Paige Bueckers As Perfect Cornerstone Player
The Dallas Wings’ excitement on winning the 2025 WNBA Draft lottery said it all when the team locked in the former UConn star as its first overall pick without any hesitation. The star entered the league as a national champion and delivered to her fullest capacity, winning the Rookie of the Year accolade.
Now in 2026, the GMs’ survey once again shows PB as the ideal player to build a team around, with 33% of GMs supporting the 23-year-old as the franchise face, meaning approximately five GMs. Interestingly, the GMS voted the 2025 All-Star as the third-best guard in the league, yet they want to build a team around her.
Paige Bueckers leads the GM vote for a player to sign if they were starting a franchise 👀 pic.twitter.com/VftWmhVqMQ
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) May 5, 2026
Incidentally, the USA national team’s MD, Sue Bird, also sees the Wings’ guard as having a special talent that binds the team together, making it easier to play along with the star guard. The player can also impact the game at both ends of the floor, making her the ultimate choice for the GMs.
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There is a tie for second place between A’ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark, each with 20% of the vote, which is equal to three franchise GMs. Dominique Malong takes the third position with 13% votes.
What if the cornerstone player is capable of winning the MVP accolade?
Paige Bueckers Ranks Among The MVP Favorites In Year 2
With the early team formations, challengers, and also the player abilities, the market has already put together a player list capable of winning the MVP title with the possible odds. As per the reports, PB ranks among the MVP candidates for the 2026 season with +2000 odds.
Reigning MVP A’ja Wilson leads the race once again with +200 odds, while Caitlin Clark is another frontrunner with +260 odds. Injury doesn’t keep Napheesa Collier out of the contention as the Lynx forward is the third favorite to win the accolade that eluded her for two consecutive seasons.
Who’s winning the 2026 #wnba MVP? 👀
— Ballislife Bets (@BallislifeBets) May 5, 2026
A’ja Wilson is the favorite (+200) followed by Caitlin Clark (+260) and Napheesa Collier (+1000).
Three days until the season starts! Who’s your early MVP? #wnba #wnbabasketball #ajawilson #caitlinclark pic.twitter.com/qr2DLXmTAQ
While being a cornerstone player, winning championships, and MVP Accolade are three different aspects in the league and gameplay, A’ja Wilson certainly showed the way to top all three with a strong performance in the 2025 season.