Dallas sports fans are grappling with a double dose of disappointment, and the city’s hoping a new star can lift their spirits. The Dallas Mavericks’ shocking February 2025 trade of Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers left a void in the basketball scene, while the Dallas Cowboys’ 7-10 season and 30-year Super Bowl drought have fans in a funk.
Enter Paige Bueckers, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft by the Dallas Wings, who’s being hailed as the city’s next big hope. “Paige is a generational talent,” Wings GM Curt Miller told 105.3 The Fan, hyping her potential to fill the emotional gap left by Doncic and the Cowboys’ struggles.
Bueckers, a 23-year-old UConn phenom, averaged 19.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists en route to a 2025 NCAA title. Her 2.4 million Instagram followers outnumber Cowboys QB Dak Prescott’s, signaling her star power. “She’s got that spark Dallas needs,” said ESPN’s Chiney Ogwumike, noting her ability to draw crowds like Caitlin Clark did for Indiana.
The Wings, coming off a 9-31 season, see Bueckers pairing with Arike Ogunbowale to revive a franchise that hasn’t won a title since moving to Dallas in 2016. Fans on X are buzzing, with one posting, “Luka’s gone, Cowboys keep choking, but Paige might save us.”
The Doncic trade, which brought Anthony Davis but cost a Finals-bound hero, hit hard. “Jerry Jones cried over Luka,” Bleacher Report noted, echoing the city’s grief. Meanwhile, the Cowboys missed the playoffs again, their 2024 campaign marred by Prescott’s injury and a third-place NFC East finish. “Cowboys fans are used to heartbreak, but this Luka thing stings,” an X user tweeted.
Bueckers’ arrival, marked by a warm welcome from Cowboys stars Micah Parsons and Prescott, offers a fresh start. “Welcome to Dallas, Paige! Let’s ball out,” Parsons posted on social media.
Bueckers is leaning into the hype. At her April 23 presser, she embraced Dallas’ Tex-Mex culture, saying, “I’m all in for this city.” Her debut against the Minnesota Lynx on May 16 at College Park Center is already a hot ticket, with a June 27 clash against Clark’s Indiana Fever set for American Airlines Center. “She could be our Dirk Nowitzki,” Miller said, comparing her to the Mavericks’ legend. While the Cowboys face a tough 2025 draft and the Mavericks adjust to life without Doncic, Bueckers’ charisma and court vision are giving Dallas a reason to rally.
