Sug Sutton Sees Diana Taurasi In Paige Bueckers
Sug Sutton said Paige Bueckers reminds her of Diana Taurasi in leadership, personality and the way she carries herself after joining the Dallas Wings. The new Dallas guard signed a rest-of-season contract on Sunday and is set to debut Monday in No. 0.
Dallas Wings backcourt
Sutton’s comparison came from experience, not comparison shopping. She played with Taurasi in Phoenix and was there when Taurasi became the WNBA’s first 10,000-point scorer, a run Sutton described as her chance to see greatness up close.
“I played with Diana Taurasi, and Paige kind of reminds me of DT,” Sutton said. “For me, it’s their personalities, their leadership, and the way they carry themselves.” She also said Taurasi expected greatness from everyone around her, and that Bueckers is “very similar in that regard.”
Sutton on Bueckers
The comparison also came after Sutton met Bueckers in person. “You can see her personality on social media, and after meeting her today, she’s exactly the same person in real life,” Sutton said. “I’m excited to learn from her and get to know her better.”
She added that “there’s so much greatness ahead for her and for what she’s going to do for the game,” a view that fits the role Dallas is asking Sutton to fill. The Wings’ backcourt has been thinned by an ankle injury to veteran guard Odyssey Sims, and Sutton said she expects to organize the offense and make plays off the dribble.
No. 0 and the fit
Sutton also said she will bring perimeter defense and energy, while noting that “great players make things easier, and Paige and Azzi add to that.” That leaves Dallas with a guard rotation built around Bueckers and Azzi Fudd for scoring, and Sutton as the connector who can steady the offense on a roster that needed another ballhandler.
Her arrival gives the Wings another option in the backcourt right away, and Monday’s debut in No. 0 will show how quickly she settles into those responsibilities. For Dallas, the immediate test is whether Sutton can turn that pass-first role into clean possessions while Bueckers and Fudd carry the scoring load.
