2025 is an excellent year for Dallas basketball, as both their NBA, the Mavericks, and the WNBA, the Wings, welcomed first overall draft picks, namely Paige Bueckers last April and Cooper Flagg on Wednesday.

Bueckers, who recently won the NCAA Championship with UConn, was surprised the Texas-based city could get No.1 picks amidst slim odds.

“Yeah, it’s crazy,” Bueckers said via Joey Mistretta on X/Twitter. “Like the odds said, it was 1.8 percent… To be able to get both is really cool.”

Getting Paige Bueckers and Flagg for Dallas in the same year was only the second time that a city secured the top picks for the NBA and the WNBA. The first time was in Cleveland in 2003, where the Cavaliers selected LeBron James while the Rockers picked LaToya Thomas.

Moreover, Bueckers and Flagg serve as the future of today’s generation of basketball stars. While playing for the Huskies, the former averaged 19.8 points, was a three-time member of the First-Team All-American, and was named the Player of the Year by three organizations in 2021. Meanwhile, the latter, averaging 19.2 points, becomes the second-youngest player to be drafted as the top pick in the NBA, just eight days older than James.

Despite the high expectations as the first overall pick, Paige Bueckers made it clear that she isn’t pressured and has gotten used to it.

“I’m not really new to expectations, honestly, but they exist,” Bueckers said via Clutch Points. “I know Cooper [Flagg] thinks a lot the same, we have expectations for ourselves and the standards we set for ourselves. … Do what has gotten you there, stick to that.”

Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark are the faces of today’s women’s basketball, although the latter has been the topic of scrutiny due to her sluggish shooting. Nevertheless, on Thursday, Clark gained Bueckers’ support, emphasizing the Indiana Fever star’s grace under pressure.

“I would just say [Clark] handles it with grace, and the pressure that she’s put on every single night to perform at the level that she does—it’s inhumane, really, to expect people to be perfect and to not have off games or off nights. If she doesn’t go 8 for 10 from three, people are questioning things. It’s unfair to have to deal with that,” Bueckers said.

“She’s a great person at dealing with it, and just tuning out the noise and just continuing to be there for herself and for her team.”

UConn Huskies star guard Paige Bueckers (left) and Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark (right). Photo credits: Imagn images

In fact, Paige Bueckers and Clark will have a much-awaited clash on Friday, with fans witnessing how the rising stars will play amongst many.