Paige Bueckers became a premier face after a dominant rookie season.
The Dallas Wings star is gearing up for her next challenge.
And Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers just revealed her favorite Christmas tradition that has nothing to do with basketball.
WNBA Rookie of the Year heads home for the holidays
Paige Bueckers didn't waste any time making her mark on the WNBA.
The Dallas Wings selected her with the first overall pick in the 2025 draft after she led UConn to a national championship.
Bueckers averaged 19.2 points, 5.4 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game during her historic rookie campaign.¹
She won the 2025 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year Award, earned All-Star starter honors, and was named to the All-WNBA Second Team.
The Minnesota native set a WNBA rookie record by scoring 44 points in a single game against the Los Angeles Sparks.²
But now the 24-year-old is taking a break from dominating on the court to enjoy the holidays back home with her family.
https://twitter.com/WomensHoops_USA/status/1966319327595950317
And Bueckers revealed that her favorite Christmas traditions have nothing to do with three-pointers or fast breaks.
Board games and Snickers salad trump basketball talk
Growing up as the middle child in a large Irish Catholic family in Minnesota taught Bueckers the value of cooperation and compromise.
Those same lessons she learned around the dinner table helped make her one of the most unselfish point guards in basketball.
Bueckers told Alexa Magazine that Christmas at home means quality time with her nearest and dearest playing card games and board games.
"We put up the Christmas tree together and play a ton of board games and card games," Bueckers explained. "Some of my family's favorites are Skyjo, Uno, Sorry! and Yahtzee."
The Wings star also revealed her go-to holiday movie is the Will Ferrell Christmas classic "Elf."
When it comes to the holiday feast, Bueckers has some Midwest favorites that might surprise basketball fans expecting a strict athlete's diet.
"Some of my favorite dishes are creamed corn, mashed potatoes, Snickers salad and honey ham," Bueckers said.
The 6-foot guard admitted she doesn't prepare any of the holiday dishes herself.
"I do not prepare any of the dishes, but I'm still confident I can get it done!" Bueckers joked.
Pink hair and Unrivaled debut keep Bueckers in the spotlight
The WNBA off-season hasn't slowed Bueckers down one bit.
She recently debuted a bold new pink ombre look created with Madison Reed's ColorWonder demi-permanent hair color in "Pink Orchid."
"I'm loving the pink ombre look we created," Bueckers said. "You can still see hints of blond, which makes it fun and bold, but still really me."
The hair color change comes as Bueckers prepares for her debut with Unrivaled's Breeze BC Miami team.
She'll make her 3-on-3 basketball debut on January 5 against Phantom BC.
Breeze BC selected Bueckers with the first overall pick in the Unrivaled draft after she was the Wings' first overall selection.
The young squad features fellow top 2025 draft picks Cameron Brink and Dominique Malonga along with Kate Martin, Rickea Jackson, and Aari McDonald.
Bueckers signed a three-year deal with Unrivaled, and her first-year salary will reportedly exceed what she'll make over her entire four-year WNBA rookie contract worth about $348,000.³
"I love playing any kind of basketball," Bueckers stated. "The WNBA off-season is pretty long, so this is an exciting opportunity."
The pink hair matches perfectly with Breeze BC's purple and pink team colors.
But first, Bueckers gets to head back to Minnesota for Christmas with her family before heading to Miami in January.
Playing board games, eating Snickers salad, and watching "Elf" might not be as glamorous as setting WNBA rookie records.
But for Paige Bueckers, those simple family traditions matter more than all the basketball accolades in the world.
¹ "Dallas Wings' Paige Bueckers Wins 2025 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year Award," WNBA.com, September 16, 2025.
² "Paige Bueckers – Wikipedia," Wikipedia, December 16, 2025.
³ "Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers has been booked and busy this offseason," Dallas News, November 19, 2025.
