Paige Bueckers Is Shaking Up Her Tunnel Walk With An Unusual Accessory

Brooches are having a major fashion moment, with Hollywood stars pinning them onto everything from sleek suits to evening gowns. Now the trend has officially crossed over to sports thanks to Paige Bueckers, who decided to take things in a much more playful direction. Instead of reaching for a classic gilded or crystal-encrusted pin, the Dallas Wings guard “built” her own design — literally brick by brick — and turned a LEGO rose into a pregame boutonniere.

When she arrived at the stadium on Wednesday, July 29, to play the Atlanta Dream, the hoops phenom kept the rest of her tunnel-walk look super low-key: a plain black T-shirt and rose-covered jeans. But she completely stole the show by using that plastic flower to inject a quick dose of whimsy and creativity.

“I’ve always loved building LEGO sets,” she tells me ahead of the game. Apart from helping her unwind — she calls the process super “calming” and “soothing” — it’s also her creative outlet. And the proof is scattered all over her home. “I can’t really upkeep real flowers,” Bueckers admits. So she figured out a genius hack instead — no green thumb necessary. She builds LEGO sets from the Botanical Collection and decorates her entire place with them.

Those floral builds are exactly what she drew inspiration from for her viral ’fit. “To combine that with fashion is really cool,” she says, adding, “I’ve always loved tunnel walking and expressing myself through fashion.”

Below, Bueckers dishes on everything from her best style advice to how snapping bricks together mimics her basketball mind, plus which nostalgic cartoon character she wants to rock on her next walk.

You once said that you would be the first draft pick at LEGO building. What specific skills would you say make you a No. 1 overall talent?

Definitely the attention to detail, focus, and ability to lock in. Building LEGO sets and basketball — they’re both like an art. You have to really pay attention, focus, and lock in, but also be able to multitask.

Brooches are trending. For fans who want to elevate their looks, do you have any styling suggestions for when and how to add a brooch to an outfit?

When the outfit is subtle, you add a little boutonniere or a little accessory to grab attention. For the tunnel walk, I’m wearing rose-petal jeans that obviously go with the theme of the rose boutonniere. I was thinking about wearing another floral top, but it was too much. So I wanted to go with a plain black shirt and then have the boutonniere be the statement piece.

The boutonniere is so whimsical. What other ways do you try to inject fun into your outfits?

I’m a very colorful person. I love a pop of color. And layering is cool. I’m also a sweater, cardigan, jersey, and vest type of girl.

What other nostalgic brands would you want to incorporate into your next tunnel ’fits in the future?

I was a huge Scooby-Doo girl. I know some brands have done shoe or clothing collabs. Mad Happy did one with the Powerpuff Girls. Some brands have done shoe collabs with SpongeBob SquarePants. I was huge on Cartoon Network, too. So, along those lines.

When it comes to accessorizing, are you more of an “I’ll add what I feel like adding last minute,” or do you consult your stylist beforehand?

I just add stuff at the last minute. I don’t wear a ton of jewelry, and what I’ve started to like is pant charms and pant chains. I haven’t really worn a bunch of those, but I really like the way those are just a complementary piece to a clean, smooth pair of jeans. I usually lean on stylists for accessories and little details.

If you could have a fashion line, what would it entail?

Definitely clothes. I would have a statement piece collection, and then a calm, everyday chill vibe collection, and then accessories to match each. I don’t know if I would get too much into shoes.

F1 has these LEGO kart races with the league’s drivers. Now that you’re a LEGO ambassador, have you been pitching the brand to do something similar for basketball?

That’s a great idea. My college teammates used to hold LEGO building competitions to see who could build the fastest and best ones. I know there are a lot of people in the W who love to build LEGO sets, so that would be great. Something at All-Star weekend, like a cool little competition.

Have you bonded with other people in the W over that?

When we were in Miami, my old teammate Lou Lopez-Senechal loved to build sets. My college teammates, we were all living together and bored, so we all used our time to disconnect and be away from basketball, just building LEGO sets together. That was really fun.

Also, my peers in the WNBA, they have kids, so they love to build sets too. To have that connection to where I can be like, “Oh, let’s do this,” and have the ability for the LEGO Group to help me out in that regard and send us some sets, has been really fun.

Could you share more about other creative ways that you unwind?

I’m a huge game person, so card games or board games. Obviously, it’s still competition, but it’s a different level than on the court. It’s less stressful. And coloring is huge for me. That’s soothing. Journaling. I love word searches, crosswords, and mind games. And then I disconnect and build relationships with shows. I really get into the character-building aspect of it and then end up just falling in love with characters in the shows.

Are you as competitive with a board game as you are in basketball?

Definitely. I’m still very much competitive.

What was a recent show that you fell in love with?

The Bear was a slow burn. At first I was like, “All right, it’s just the same thing happening.” But then the character development started happening, and people started growing, adapting, and becoming totally different people. Obviously, I love Syd [Ayo Edebiri] and Carmy [Jeremy Allen White], but Richie [Ebon Moss-Bachrach] was probably my favorite character in that show because he was just this rough, tough, jagged-edged person that was hard to reach. But he became this person who was easy to reach, really cool to be around, just made everybody around him better.

Now that The Bear is over, are you looking for other shows?

I’m definitely looking for other shows right now. I restarted watching Supernatural. That was something I watched in middle school and high school. I do need a new show.

If you could build a set of your favorite career moment so far, what would it be?

Definitely me and my teammates hoisting the National Championship Trophy my senior year at UConn.

What else can you tease about the rest of your outfits this season?

Honestly, I go from game to game. I put stuff together. I’m excited about this one, though, just because it’s a statement with multiple meanings. The LEGO Group is coming out with the new She Built That campaign, which inspires young girls to not put yourself in a box and to be able to express yourself in so many different ways. For me, it’s through fashion, basketball, through showing my personality, and not just being a basketball player, but being a human being that can do so many other things. I’m really excited for that one.

What has been your favorite look or tunnel-walk look ever that you’ve done?

My Draft Day looks. The white suit I wore to support my teammates and my own draft, when I had two separate looks — one for the walk-in and one for the stage. And then obviously this one.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.