Paige Bueckers came in bearing the weight of Caitlin Clark comparisons, and inevitably so. As a five-star recruit out of high school, the Dallas Wings star was also seen leading her team and drawing unprecedented crowds, much like her Indiana Fever opponent. As a 23-year-old, that might seem like too much pressure on paper, right? Well, thankfully, PB has made sure she’s one step ahead in the game with a crucial life lesson. “[Something that’s] helped the mental side of the game is running my own race, not running a race of comparison,” the 2025 Rookie of the Year declared, with stats to back it up. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for her team.

Paige knows exactly how the Wings are losing out on crucial games, topped off by another painful 106-87 loss to the Las Vegas Aces. But irrespective of the Wings being of the league’s bottom-most teams currently, further moving out of playoff contention with a 9–26 record, the point guard hasn’t forgotten to uplift her teammates to fuel them for the games still left.

Remember, just a few days ago when she said about Grace Berger, despite the latter’s lackluster performance, “Yeah, she’s just getting more comfortable and confident in the offense and getting us organized”? That was after Berger finished with 2 points, 0 assists, 0 steals, and 1 rebound in 16:40 minutes against the Fever. That same encouragement was visible in her words for Maddy Siegrist after their loss to the Aces on Sunday afternoon. “Just her getting to her spots, her posting up smaller defenders, shooting over the top, and just being an opportunity basketball player,” Bueckers began.

“Getting out in transition, getting easy layups that way. She’s just a workhorse. The game comes to her, and she takes full advantage of that. It seems tonight she was even more aggressive inside the line, especially against mismatches,” she shared in the post-game press conference. And Bueckers was right.

When Arike Ogunbowale was sidelined with right knee soreness and Dallas desperately needed someone, Siegrist answered the call. She delivered a career-high tying 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting in an 81-80 win over the Fever earlier this month, stepping into the starting lineup and providing the consistency the team needed.

That’s the kind of impact Maddy brings for Dallas. But her efforts didn’t pay off against the Aces, where despite her 23 points on 11-of-15 shooting, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks, the Wings still lost. Post-game, she admitted, “It’s hard to reflect on when you’re losing. Doesn’t feel that good when you’re losing. But just trying to do everything I can to help my teammates. They work really hard to get you open, get you the ball. So you try to obviously reward them with that assist. But, you know, it doesn’t feel that good today.” That loss stung even more after the Aces drained 18 triples—the most ever by a Wings opponent.

But what keeps Siegrist and her teammates moving forward is loyalty—the constant support they show one another. So while Maddy says she’s “trying to do everything … to help my teammates,” PB is also doing her part, whether through her play or her words of encouragement. Of course, Paige isn’t just limited to uplifting teammates—she’s putting up historic numbers, too. Playoff hopes may be gone, but the Rookie of the Year race is still very much alive. Versus the LV Aces, she solidified her historic rookie campaign by becoming the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 500+ points and 150+ assists.

That’s the kind of phenom Paige Bueckers is molding herself into. Additionally, her 5.4 assists per game ranks seventh, and 18.8 PPG ranks sixth in the league currently. But one thing we know for sure is: The feats would have been near impossible without support from the mates she’s standing for.

Maddy turns out to be a blessing in disguise for Wings…

While Bueckers has gotten help from plenty of teammates throughout the years, recently it has been Siegrist stepping up in a big way. PB even highlighted her, saying, “She’s a big wing, so a lot of times there is a smaller defender on her. For her to be able to take advantage of that is a huge boost.” Notably, ever since returning from an 18-game injury absence, Siegrist has averaged 16.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 26.8 minutes per game while shooting a 59.6% from the field. But this isn’t the first time she’s delivered.

Back in 2024, she started 13 of 27 games, averaging 9.4 points per game before a finger injury cut her season short. Her consistent production even led Dallas to exercise her fourth-year rookie contract option heading into 2025. Head coach Chris Koclanes, while praising the player, revealed, “Her second-chance points, her timely cutting and crashing—she’s going to put the ball in around the rim,” while speaking to Dallas Journal.

So yes, Maddy’s impact goes far beyond the box score—she embodies consistency and intangibles that make her invaluable to the Wings. And while her and Paige’s efforts might not be enough to secure Dallas a playoff berth, they just might be enough to make things work for others.