Media darling”, “This really is the GOAT

The Professional Basketball Writers Association (PBWA) announced Thursday that Paige Bueckers won the 2025 PBWA Tamika Catchings Award.

The award, which is named after the Indiana Fever legend, honors the best player who “combines excellence on the court with cooperation and dignity in dealing with the media and public.”

Several fans on social media reacted to Bueckers’ latest accolade, with many saying that the 6-foot star deserved the award.

“Media darling,” a fan tweeted.

“This really is the GOAT,” a fan commented on Instagram.

Here are other fan reactions:

According to the PBWA, other nominees for this year’s award were Washington Mystics’ Alysha Clark, Phoenix Mercury’s Satou Sabally, Atlanta Dream’s Shatori Walker-Kimbrough and New York Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu.

Paige Bueckers averaged 19.2 points and 5.4 assists on 47.7% shooting in her rookie campaign. She was named an All-Star and won the Rookie of the Year award. She was also selected to the All-WNBA Second Team and the All-Rookie Team.

Paige Bueckers comments on latest accolade

The PBWA lauded Paige Bueckers’ consistent cooperation with the media throughout the 2025 WNBA season. In a recorded statement published by PBWA on Thursday, the Dallas Wings star acknowledged the role that the media plays in the sport.

“First of all, very grateful,” Bueckers said, per PBWA. “I know how much the media does for the game of basketball and how much it pushes the narratives and gets us out there, nationally and globally, and so I really appreciate it.

“As much as us players sometimes don’t want to do it after, win or loss, we’ve got to take it on the chin. It’s a part of basketball and it’s part of growing the game. So I’m very grateful for everybody in the media and everybody who helps push this game.”

Bueckers is currently participating in the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament with Team USA. She made her debut for the senior national team on Wednesday, contributing nine points and four rebounds off the bench in a 110-46 win over Senegal.

Team USA will next face the tournament hosts, Puerto Rico, on Thursday. After that, they will battle Italy on Saturday, New Zealand on Sunday and Spain on Tuesday.