WNBA standout Paige Bueckers said that watching Steph Curry play for Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics felt like a “heavenly experience.”
While much of the current WNBA discussion centers on concerns about a possible lockout—after the league and the WNBPA failed to reach an agreement on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)—Bueckers is preparing for a major milestone. She is set to make her senior competitive debut for USA Basketball after being selected for the team competing in the FIBA Women’s World Cup qualifying tournament.
The competition will begin on March 11 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where Bueckers is expected to play alongside Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.
While Kara Lawson’s squad has already qualified for the World Cup, which will take place in Germany in September, by virtue of winning the 2025 AmeriCup last summer, the qualifying tournament represents the perfect opportunity for Bueckers and co to get familiar with one another on the court.
Ahead of her debut next week, which is likely to come when the USA takes on Senegal on March 11, Bueckers spoke to reporters about her favorite national team players, hailing Curry for his outstanding performances for America at the 2024 Olympics.
“Growing up, it was like Bron [LeBron James], D-Wade [Dwyane Wade], Kobe [Kobe Bryant], and then obviously like Sue [Bird], Di [Diana Taurasi]. I mean there was so many,” Bueckers told reporters during her media availability.
However, she then shifted gear to praise Curry for his semifinal and final performances against Serbia and France, which culminated in Team USA winning gold in Paris.
“When Steph went crazy [at the 2024 Olympics], that was like basketball,” added Bueckers after an initial pause. “Like a heavenly experience watching basketball, I can’t even put into words what it was like when I was watching that on TV.”
During Team USA’s semifinal win over Serbia, Curry went off, scoring 36 points in a 95-91 victory. The Golden State Warriors guard went 12-of-19 shooting from the field and 9-for-14 from the three-point line.
Curry also produced multiple clutch three-pointers late on, including one that saw Team USA take the lead with less than two minutes to go in Paris.
Then, in the final against France, he scored 24 points, making eight three-pointers, helping Team USA defeat France 98-87 in the gold medal match. It also meant Curry finally got his hands on an Olympic gold.
While the men’s 2024 gold was their fifth consecutive Olympic gold, Curry missed out on playing in 2012 and 2016 due to injury. He also opted out of playing at the 2020 Olympics, held in 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bueckers also made a point to single out Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker as another player she looks up to, with the Wings guard admitting she is approaching playing for Team USA in the same way he approached playing at the 2024 Olympics.
“Honestly, whatever the team needs me to do [I will do],” said Bueckers. “I really admired the last Olympics when Devin Booker just said I’ll do it, anything this team needs me to do, I’ll do it.
“Probably won’t play the five! But if they ask me to, I will. I’m just really willing to do whatever and sacrifice anything, whether it’s starting, coming off the bench, playing this, playing that. Truly, it doesn’t matter, it’s just an honor to be on this team.”
