The Dallas Wings faced the Washington Mystics at Collage Park Center, but what seemed like a good start for Paige Bueckers and her team ended in another loss, 91-78.
This game marked Bueckers’ return to the court after a back injury caused her to miss a game. And despite the loss, she led her team with 17 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists. Her teammates also performed well: Arike Ogunbowale contributed 12 points, Haley Jones 11, and Luisa Geiselsöder 10.
However, led by Kiki Iriafen, who scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Washington shone. Sonia Citron -a candidate for Rookie of the Year alongside Paige- was also key to the Mystics’ victory, adding 18 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds. As a result, Dallas has now lost five games in a row and has a record of 8-24.
The truth is that the Wings have great talent and should not be struggling to get out of the bottom of the WNBA standings. In this regard, Chris Koclanes, their coach, attributed this losing streak to the team’s inexperience: “This group really needs reps. You know, it’s one thing to see it on film, but for a lot of younger players, they need to feel it,” he began explaining.
“No excuses, but finding those times in practice is few and far between. So that’s what you see out there. We’re just inconsistent. We have very good moments where we’re executing well, and it looks like we’re proactive and we’re seeing things that are happening and we’re one step ahead. And then we have a couple of possessions where now we’re very reactive.”
Bueckers shines
Despite not getting a much-needed win against the Mystics, the WNBA’s number one draft pick is not far from earning Rookie of the Year honors.
During this game, the 23-year-old guard became the fastest first-year player in league history to reach 450 points, 100 rebounds, and 100 assists.
As if that weren’t enough, Paige is the only WNBA player this season to score double digits in every game.
With an average of 18.6 points, 5.4 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game, there is no doubt about the fundamental role she plays on the team and her clear chances of achieving this recognition.
Now, Paige and the Wings are preparing to visit and face the Indiana Fever on Tuesday, August 12, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
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