The Dallas Wings lost on Wednesday, June 17, against the Golden State Valkyries 91-80. However, star guard Paige Bueckers praised her former UConn Huskies teammate, whom she said has one of the "best layup packages" she's ever seen.

After a disappointing loss, Bueckers talked about former teammate Kaitlyn Chen, whom she played with for four years during her college years and also won the 2024 NCAA championship with her in their last year. Bueckers went on to reveal Chen's talent in the post-game interview.

"Being around Kaitlyn, she's always worked hard, and she always had it in her," Bueckers said. "But when the opportunity has been given to her, she ran with it. She's confident and affects the game in so many different ways. But tonight, just getting downhill, getting penetration, getting into the rim, she has one of the best layup packages I've ever seen."

Bueckers said that Chen has always been a hard-working and confident player, and also praised her for having one of the best layups she has ever seen.

The same could be seen in Chen's performance, as she scored 15 points against Dallas, going 7-of-10 from the field, including making two assists, two rebounds, and a steal.

Back on July 25, 2025, Bueckers was happy with Chen getting opportunities with the Valkyries last season.

"I'm extremely happy for her; I knew her opportunity was coming," Bueckers said. "I know she works extremely hard, and she has a great mindset about her."

So, how have the two former UConn stars looked since going to the WNBA and taking their separate paths?

Paige Bueckers And Kaitlyn Chen This Season

The 2025 Rookie of the Year has been in tremendous form, averaging 18.7 points, six assists, and 3.6 rebounds this season. She has also averaged 2.6 free throws per game, with 80.4 percent accuracy.

Bueckers has also averaged 7.1 field goals per game with 50.5 percent accuracy.

On the other hand, Chen has also improved drastically.

Last season, she played 24 games and averaged 10.3 minutes per game in the regular season. She averaged two points and one assist per game.

This season, she has been averaging 5.5 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. She has averaged 13.1 minutes per game, which helped her have better numbers too.

This was the only time both players faced each other. While the two players keep improving their stats, their teams have also been performing decently so far.

The Valkyries hold a 10-5 record, while the Wings are now at 9- 6.

The Valkyries stand fifth while the Wings stand seventh in the league standings.

The Wings will face the Chicago Sky on June 20. The Valkyries, on the other hand, will go up against the league leaders, the Minnesota Lynx, on June 19.

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Written by

Dhruv Singh

Edited by

Koushik Biswas