PHOENIX – Satou Sabally shined with 20 points and 10 rebounds against her former team, while Alyssa Thomas added 11 points and 10 assists. The Phoenix Mercury defeated the Dallas Wings with a score of 93-80 on Wednesday night, despite the outstanding performance of Paige Bueckers, who scored 35 points. Bueckers, who returned after missing four games due to a concussion protocol and an illness, made his first six shots of the game, finishing with 13 of 19 attempts from the field. He became the third rookie in Dallas history to record a 35-point game, joining Arike Ogunbowale (2019) and Odyssey Sims (2014). However, the rest of the Wings combined for a poor 16 of 48 (33%) in field goals.
Bueckers acknowledged that he felt “a little breathless” in his return, focusing on areas for improvement. Kitija Laksa scored 14 points and four three-pointers for the Phoenix (7-4). Kathryn Westbeld scored all 11 points in the first half, while Lexi Held also finished with 11 points. DiJonai Carrington scored 11 points and eight rebounds for Dallas (1-10). Ogunbowale had a difficult night, with only 2 of 10 shots for 10 points. Bueckers had a notable performance in the first half, with 8 of 10 field goals, including three three-pointers and three free throws, scoring 22 of Dallas’s 36 points. His 35 points surpassed his previous personal record of 21. Sabally scored 10 of her points in the third quarter, leading the Mercury 67-57.I felt a little breathless on my return and focused more on what I could improve.
Paige Bueckers
