“I know the city is happy, I know the state is happy… and I know that the women’s game is only going to get better with you in it.” When Dallas Mavericks’ star Kyrie Irving congratulated No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers, little did he know what the league had signed up for. Bueckers took the center stage this year and jolted the W with her remarkable debut run. Her determination, strength, and grit on the hardwood have helped carve a spot in the league.

After all, she hails from Geno Auriemma’s system. While she had a successful college career, the WNBA posed greater threats to the guard: a rebuilding roster, a struggling team leader, and a brand new head coach. However, the Dallas Wings’ player used the franchise’s dire state to create growth opportunities. Not only did she dominate the hardwood, but the versatile player stepped into various roles in the paint. She has often led the team and given some of her finest performances this season.

Now, Fans and analysts often compare Bueckers to Irving for her soft-footed scoring ability and fluidity. She was also dubbed “Kyrie with a jumper” for her elite efficiency. But in a recent twist of events, even an NBA player’s fan page couldn’t help but compare the rookie’s outstanding poise with that of her Mavericks counterpart. The verified account shared a clip on X (former Twitter) with a caption that read, “Paige Bueckers truly looking like a Kyrie disciple on that court.” 

The clip features Bueckers on the hardwood during the Liberty face-off. She was driving towards the rim and effortlessly tackling the defender. With all eyes on Bueckers, the athlete made a smooth bucket with 8:34 left in the second quarter. The athlete repaid Irving’s faith by displaying epic gameplay against the New York Liberty. As a result, she not only added 20 points, six rebounds, and four assists to the roster but also bolstered the Wings towards a significant 92-82 win.

This win came after a jaw-dropping historic record. Despite losing to the Golden State Valkyries, Paige rattled the league as the only rookie to reach 350+ points and 100+ assists in just 20 games. While she fetched only 17 points and six assists against the Valkyries, it added to her WNBA record. She even surpassed Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark and became the first rookie to achieve this feat.

But the game against Liberty came as a blessing in disguise for Bueckers’ on-court partner, Arike Ogunbowale. The veteran, on the other hand, joined Clark as the only players to score 17 points a single half. On the other hand, Bueckers finished her tenth 20-point game of this season with 58.3% field goals and 50% of her threes. This efficiency provided the Wings with a much-needed offensive boost. So, on being asked about the team’s 8th success, head coach Chris Koclanes was more than elated.

HC Chris Koclanes appreciates the locker room.

“Yeah, just an energy, a defensive tenacity to just get up and get into people. And so, when we got stops and we could run, we could play in transition,” the head coach of Dallas Wings, Chris Koclane, admitted. “Proud of our start that way. I thought we did a good job finding some disruption early, being aggressive at the point of attack, and again, our flow behind was good as well.

Smiling ear-to-ear, the head coach was beaming after the glorious win. Besides, this was not just another victory. The Wings, the last team standing in the regular season, faced the Eastern Conference’s top-ranked team, the New York Liberty.

But not only did the Wings assert their dominance with a 31-19 lead in the first quarter, they successfully managed to pull the stops on the Liberty. And held them under water throughout the first half of the game. The locker room stepped into the second half with an assertive 63-36 lead.

Although Liberty tried its best in the third quarter, it was too late. Koclanes’ locker room utilized their defense against the Liberty, and their loud, tight start set the tone for the game. While the team is capable of aggressive yet assertive gameplay, can the Wings continue to dominate the hardwood or come spiralling down with some heavy losses? Guess, we’ll have to wait and watch.