Paige Bueckers and the U.S. women's national team opened the FIBA World Cup with a dominant 94-61 win over China on Friday, but the Dallas Wings star is now facing a different kind of attention — and it's not all positive.
Bueckers, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, tied for the team high with 14 points off the bench, shooting 6-of-9 from the field and dishing out four assists. Her performance was a bright spot in a convincing victory, but it's a pre-game moment that has fans talking.
Before the game, teammate Angel Reese posted a TikTok showing the squad dancing in their uniforms. One clip features Bueckers twerking against a wall, and the internet quickly split over whether that was appropriate while representing the country.
“Paige Bueckers twerking while wearing USA jersey. Do they use their brain at all?” one fan wrote on X. Another added, “I understand having fun but to act like this whilst wearing your countries uniform isn’t a good look at all.”
The criticism didn’t stop there. “There are certain things you do not do while wearing your national team jersey in an international competition,” a third commenter said. “This is one of them. She no longer in college or HS. This team needs strong leaders who would put a stop to all these attention seeking and unprofessional behavior.”
Even some who defended her right to have fun acknowledged the optics. “She can do whatever she wants but there are consequences to that. People will see as super cool or not serious about why you are there,” one fan noted.
Bueckers has not responded to the backlash, and she doesn't have to. The video didn't seem to hurt Team USA's performance — they cruised past China and will face Italy on Sunday, a game televised on TNT.
This isn’t the first time a viral moment has sparked debate about athlete conduct. The US Open faced similar criticism when influencers turned Arthur Ashe Stadium into a TikTok studio, and the Browns were accused of staging a fan interaction that felt more scripted than sincere. The line between fun and professionalism is getting blurrier.
But for Bueckers, the focus remains on hoops. She’s been a key piece for Team USA, and if her opener is any indication, she’ll let her play do the talking. Whether the twerking clip fades or fuels more debate, one thing’s for sure: Bueckers isn’t letting the noise distract her from winning.
