“It’s just clear,” Chris Koclanes said before their Los Angeles Sparks matchup, “She’s rookie of the year. There’s no questions.” Bold claim, but not everyone agreed, especially with Sonia Citron’s recent surge making things interesting. Then Bueckers went out and settled the debate in the most convincing way possible: 44 points, 3 assists, and 3 rebounds. That night tied Cynthia Cooper’s legendary rookie single-game scoring record, a mark untouched since the WNBA’s very first season in 1997. Not a bad way to RSVP to the “all-time greats” conversation.

Among drafted rookies, Bueckers now owns the top spot outright, leapfrogging Candace Parker’s 40-point effort in 2008. Even Sparks coach Lynne Roberts had to tip her cap, saying, “Paige was unbelievable tonight”. So, clearly, Bueckers got the entire Basketball Community talking with that performance. But there was another conversation that the same stat line set into motion, one that puts the spotlight on the Dallas Wings and not in a good way. 

According to Across the Timeline, Bueckers tied Diana Taurasi and Betty Lennox for the third most points scored in a game while ending up on the losing side. Lauren Jackson’s 47-point performance against the Mystics in 2007 and Katie Smith’s 46-point show against the Sparks are the only two that are ahead. It’s a tough reality when stellar performances like these only highlight the glaring deficiencies of the rest of the team. Even Azzi Fudd’s father called it out.

“Sparks/Wings….here’s the most obvious take…Wings need to find some offense other than PB5. Very hard to take her off the floor. Paige’s middy is automatic and from every crazy angle!” Wrote Fudd’s father as the team struggled to put some distance between them and the Sparks. And yes, this team has become Bueckers-centric, as without her, this game was never going to be close, like many others.

Take away Bueckers’ numbers, and the rest of the team managed just 1 point and three turnovers in the fourth quarter—while Bueckers dropped 13 all by herself. The UConn grad is clearly the engine of this squad, though she usually has Arike Ogunbowale to help steer. The problem is, Arike’s been stuck in the shop with injuries and couldn’t suit up for this one. Coach Chris Koclanes admitted Bueckers is carrying most of the load, but, as per him, without Arike, the result was bound to wobble.

Talking about his veteran, he said after the game, “At times out there, you know Paige isn’t going, it’s like you know where where are we’re getting that extra punch from. Um, so to be able to have another score alongside her, just you know, opens up the floor even more for everybody.”

In the entire Wings squad, only 3 average in double digits. One being Arike, who was unavailable. Maddy Siegrist delivered right around her average with her steady 13 points, but beyond her, no one else managed to break double digits. While the pieces of a good team are there in this young squad, not everyone is there yet. Still and all, Bueckers is not dwelling on their losses, as she had some words of encouragement for her squad after the game. And it could even be good for her game to be the center of the system at the early stages of her career. 

Paige Bueckers Reveals How Her Midrange Game Creates an Unfair Edge

Paige Bueckers’ midrange game is in a league of its own, and it’s the main reason so many consider her style unique. Arike put it best when asked what would set Bueckers apart in the long run: “The midi, like, she got the midi perfected. Like it’s so clean too,” Logically, preferring the midrange makes little sense. You can go to the rim to make a lay-up, which is easier to make. Or you can go for a high-risk shot from downtown, which gets you three points. However, Bueckers gave her reasoning for going hard on her butter-like mid-range shot.  

Bueckers told the media after the Sparks matchup, “Yeah, I think truly, basketball’s gotten away from it. Um, and it’s mostly layups and threes. So, it’s really hard to guard. Teams don’t know how to guard it and have counters for it. Um, so I think it’s an advantage if you can score in the mid-range. You obviously don’t want to settle. You want to get to the rim. You want to shoot threes. Um, but being able to score in that middle area is important as well.”

Well, there you have the reason. It’s like the players have forgotten that midrange exists. Guarding against it has become more difficult as they aren’t prepared for a player like Bueckers to push so hard from that previously unseen area. She is almost just as good from outside and driving in the paint, but her midrange gives her a three-level opportunity like no other. Against Sparks, she went 17-of-21 from the field, and she only shot 4 from the three. But she made all of them. A perfect representation of how she likes to play.