Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers set a new rookie scoring record in a single WNBA game with 44 points on Wednesday night in Los Angeles. Although her performance was outstanding, it wasn’t enough to secure the victory, as Sparks guard Kelsey Plum scored just before the buzzer, giving L.A. an 81-80 win at Crypto.com Arena. Despite the loss, Bueckers’ night was impressive. She went an astounding 17 of 21 from the field, becoming the first player in WNBA history to record an 80% or better field goal percentage while scoring 40 or more points. The rest of the Wings, as a whole, had a less outstanding performance, with 31% accuracy (12 of 39). Bueckers was responsible for 55% of her team’s points, the fifth-highest percentage in WNBA history and the highest since 2004, when Tina Thompson, of the Houston Comets, scored 35 of her team’s 62 points (56%). Known for her efficiency since her days at UConn, Bueckers talked about how she has transferred this quality to the WNBA.
Bueckers also made all six free throws and the four three-pointers he attempted. In addition, he highlighted the importance of his mid-range game.It’s a lot of repetition in practice. And learning and growing, watching videos of how you can get to your positions, how you can attack, how you can use your teammates to screen for you, attack in transition and when teams switch on screens. Just reading the possession.
Paige Bueckers
Bueckers’ 44 points, the most scored by any player in the WNBA this season, ties for third in franchise history, which was formerly called the Shock in Detroit and then in Tulsa, Oklahoma, before moving to Dallas in 2016. Liz Cambage holds the franchise record with 53 points for Dallas in 2018.I really think basketball has moved away from that, it’s mainly layups and threes. Teams don’t know how to defend it. So I think it’s an advantage when you can score in the mid-range.
Paige Bueckers
The previous record for points by a rookie in a WNBA game was 40, set by Candace Parker of Los Angeles in 2008. Like Bueckers, Parker was the first draft pick and won the Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year award that season. Bueckers is part of a strong draft class, but she is almost certain to be the 2025 Rookie of the Year.
Bueckers was asked about her great performance, especially considering the serious injuries she overcame during her career at UConn.I’m as big a fan as anyone. She takes what the defense gives her all over the court. She just plays at her own pace. You can’t speed her up. It’s really impressive for a rookie in this league to be able to maintain her own speed and rhythm. I think that helps her be able to read the defense.
Chris Koclanes, Dallas coach
The Sparks (17-18) are still in the fight for the postseason, which they have been absent from for the last four years. Dallas fell to 9-27 on the season and has been eliminated from playoff contention. However, Bueckers stated that she and the Wings still have something to fight for.People have seen the difficulties… the injuries, the ups and downs. That people continue to follow me and believe in me, really means a lot. I will never take that for granted.
Paige Bueckers
I’ve always prided myself on the team winning, so that’s obviously the main goal. I’m so proud of this team and the way we fight. This team means so much to me. The way we invest. We love each other. It could be easy for us to be [9-27] and be miserable and hate coming to work, but we show up for each other. We’re learning and growing together. What we’re building here, makes me very happy.
Paige Bueckers
