A record-setting night in Los Angeles<\/p>\n
Bueckers\u2019 most defining moment came on Aug. 20 against the Los Angeles Sparks, when she erupted for 44 points on 17-for-21 shooting. The performance tied the WNBA rookie single-game scoring record and made her the first player in league history to score 40 or more while shooting at least 80%.<\/p>\n
\u201cRepetition in practice and games, learning, watching film \u2014 finding ways to get to my spots more efficiently, attacking mismatches, using teammates as screeners, attacking in transition,\u201d Bueckers said about her professional routine. \u201cEvery possession is different, so it\u2019s just reading the game and taking what the defense gives you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her shot chart showed it all: rim finishes, midrange jumpers, and a perfect 4-for-4 from beyond the arc. Bueckers explained that her ability to still lean on the midrange gives her an edge in a league where defenses are geared to concede or deny certain areas.<\/p>\n
\u201cBasketball has gone away from it \u2014 it\u2019s mostly layups and threes,\u201d Bueckers said. \u201cSo it\u2019s hard to guard. Teams don\u2019t know how to guard it, and it\u2019s an advantage if you can score there. You don\u2019t want to settle, but being able to score in that middle area is important too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wings teammate Maddy Siegrist<\/a> marveled at what she saw that night.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s so efficient, it\u2019s unbelievable,\u201d Siegrist said. \u201cFor a rookie, I don\u2019t even have words. Just unreal. I\u2019m so happy I get to play with her.\u201d<\/p>\n Carrying the load in August<\/p>\n Dallas has endured a brutal stretch of injuries, losing Arike Ogunbowale<\/a> to knee tendinitis, JJ Quinerly<\/a> to a knee injury, and Tyasha Harris<\/a> and Li Yueru<\/a> for the season. That\u2019s left Bueckers as one of just three available guards \u2014 alongside Grace Berger<\/a> and Aziaha James<\/a> \u2014 and forced her into the spotlight even more.<\/p>\n The strain shows in the numbers. The Wings went 1\u20138 in August, ranking 12th among 13 WNBA teams in offensive rating (97.8), defensive rating (110.9) and net rating (-13.1). With Bueckers off the court, the team\u2019s offensive efficiency plummeted to 91.9, while their defensive rating ballooned to 115.0.<\/p>\n Yet Bueckers still averaged 22.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists on 52.4% shooting for the month. She also made 95.2% of her free throws, living at the line while being blitzed and doubled constantly.<\/p>\n Tune in to Locked On Women\u2019s Basketball<\/p>\n Here at The IX Basketball, in addition to the 24\/7\/365 written content our staff provides, we also host the daily Locked On Women\u2019s Basketball<\/a> podcast. Join us Monday through Saturday each week as we discuss all things WNBA, collegiate basketball, basketball history and much more. Listen wherever you find podcasts or watch on YouTube.<\/p>\n Grace Berger said the Sparks game was just one example of how Bueckers\u2019 aggression changes the offense.<\/p>\n \u201cPaige\u2019s aggression \u2014 she can do this every game,\u201d Berger said. \u201cShe\u2019s such a team player she sometimes forgets to look for herself, but when she\u2019s aggressive, it\u2019s huge for us.\u201d<\/p>\n Scoring evolution and versatility<\/p>\n Bueckers\u2019 scoring evolution has stood out most. She entered the league with a reputation for midrange precision, and has leaned on that area while expanding her attack downhill. Over a recent three-game stretch, she scored double figures at the rim in each contest \u2014 the first time she has ever done so consecutively \u2014 showing more comfort finishing through contact.<\/p>\n \u201cBasketball has gone away from it \u2014 it\u2019s mostly layups and threes,\u201d Bueckers said. \u201cSo it\u2019s hard to guard. Teams don\u2019t know how to guard it, and it\u2019s an advantage if you can score there. You don\u2019t want to settle, but being able to score in that middle area is important too.\u201d<\/p>\n She added that her success comes from repetition and recognition.<\/p>\n \u201cRepetition in practice and games, learning, watching film \u2014 finding ways to get to my spots more efficiently, attacking mismatches, using teammates as screeners, attacking in transition,\u201d Bueckers said. \u201cEvery possession is different, so it\u2019s just reading the game and taking what the defense gives you.\u201d<\/p>\n The numbers reinforce her efficiency. Bueckers leads the WNBA in points per game off the dribble (6.8) and ranks third in points per possession overall (1.312), trailing only Alyssa Thomas<\/a> (1.485) and Aliyah Boston<\/a> (1.324). She has achieved this despite 72.4% of her shot attempts coming from dribble jumpers, many from inside the arc.<\/p>\n Head coach Chris Koclanes has highlighted how Bueckers\u2019 willingness to play through contact has added another dimension to her game.<\/p>\n \u201cJust being more aggressive, playing downhill,\u201d Koclanes said. \u201cShe can get to her midrange whenever she wants, but she\u2019s also been scoring through contact \u2014 a bunch of and-ones the last couple of games. The deeper she gets into the paint, the more people collapse, so she\u2019ll continue to have opportunities to spray her teammates as well. I love that she\u2019s mixing it up.\u201d<\/p>\n Bueckers has also proven adaptable in a variety of roles \u2014 whether initiating pick-and-roll, serving as a post threat against mismatches, or even screening to counter defensive top-locks. That versatility has been essential for a Dallas team forced to play small with Geisels\u00f6der at center and Haley Jones<\/a> at power forward.<\/p>\n Wings learning to attack all coverages<\/p>\n For Koclanes, Bueckers\u2019 versatility has become the defining feature of Dallas\u2019 offense. He pointed to her ability to function in multiple roles \u2014 initiating pick-and-rolls, working out of the pinch post, and even serving as a screener in handoff actions. Those layers give the Wings ways to create advantages even when opponents overload on her first option.<\/p>\n That adaptability has been especially important with Ogunbowale sidelined, leaving Bueckers and Siegrist as the only consistent scoring threats. The Wings have asked Bueckers to both create for herself and open opportunities for teammates by occupying defenses in various ways.<\/p>\n Her matchup against Seattle showed the challenges of that responsibility. Bueckers drew relentless attention from Brittney Sykes<\/a>, who the Storm acquired before the trade deadline specifically to bolster their perimeter defense. Sykes hounded her through ball screens and handoffs, forcing her to make reads under heavy pressure.<\/p>\n \u201cThey were extremely physical with her, threw a lot of bodies at her on ball screens,\u201d Koclanes said. \u201cThey challenged her to make the right play over and over. I thought she kept composure, but we missed a lot around the basket that could have swung the game.\u201d<\/p>\n While Bueckers continued to make the correct reads, the Wings\u2019 lack of reliable finishing around the rim meant she could not capitalize fully on the space she created. This underscored the strain of her dual role as both primary scorer and facilitator for a shorthanded roster.<\/p>\n Want even more women\u2019s sports in your inbox?<\/p>\n![\"Locked](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1756064948_136_locked-on-wbb-ad.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Paige](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/20250620_DSC1783_chrisposs-Edit-1024x819.jpg\")
Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) during the WNBA game between the Dallas Wings and the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena, in Uncasville, Conn., on June 20, 2025. (Photo credit: Chris Poss | The Next)<\/p>\n