Bueckers, the first Minnesota-born basketball player to be selected No. 1 overall, went 17 of 21 from the field, including 4 of 4 from 3-point range.<\/p>\n
LOS ANGELES \u2014 Former Hopkins High School standout Paige Bueckers scored 44 points Wednesday night to set the WNBA record for most points in a single game by a rookie.<\/p>\n
The 23-year-old guard scored the final 13 points for Dallas to set the new rookie record and match the 28-year-old record set by Hall of Famer Cynthia Cooper for most points by a player in their first year. It’s also the most points scored in a single game by any player in the league this season.<\/p>\n
Despite Bueckers’ record-setting performance, the Wings lost on a last-second shot by Los Angeles guard Kelsey Plum, who banked in the winning shot just before the buzzer to give the Sparks the 81-80 victory.<\/p>\n
The loss also eliminated the Wings from playoff contention.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve always prided myself and the team on winning so that\u2019s obviously the main goal,” she said. \u201cHonestly, I think I\u2019m just most proud of this team, like, the way we fight. This team just means so much to me.\u201d<\/p>\n