Paige Bueckers has captivated basketball fans since her transition from college star to WNBA standout, displaying an uncanny ability to slow down the game in fastpaced situations.
The Dallas Wings guard quickly adjusted to professional play, finding a rhythm that blends poise and precision. Her natural court vision and fluid decision-making give the impression that she has extra time, allowing her to make plays that few players can anticipate.
In her first appearance with Breeze in the Unrivaled 3-o-3 league, Bueckers showcased her versatility in a matchup against Phantom. With just seconds remaining in the first half, she created space against Natasha Cloud, one of the WNBA’s elite defenders, and calmly nailed a long-range shot.
That basket showed her ability to remain composed under pressure and set the tone for a strong performance overall. She finished the game with 24 points on 7-15 shooting, leading Breeze to victory over a team featuring Kelsey Plum, Aliyah Boston, and Tiffany Hayes.
While her scoring prowess is already welldocumented, Bueckers is now adding another layer to her offensive toolbox, drawing fouls more effectively. Traditionally not a freethrow-line-heavy player, she recognized that getting to the charity stripe more frequently could make her even more difficult to guard.
This adjustment comes as part of her focus on mastering a new move inspired by NBA star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Adding a new twist
Bueckers recently revealed that part of her offseason work has been on incorporating Alexander‘s signature shoulder bump into her midrange pull-ups, a tactic that can help her draw contact and increase trips to the free-throw line.
“I want to work on my left hand… get to the free-throw line more, so lowkey a little foul bait, but also the Shai shoulder bump,” Bueckers told Bleacher Report. This move could make her midrange game even tougher to defend, complementing her already elite 44.6% shooting from inside the arc and 2.5 made midrange shots per game, ranking second in the WNBA.
This focus also ties directly to the Unrivaled and Xfinity free-throw challenge, which awards $50,000 to the player with the highest free-throw percentage over the first five games of the season. In her Unrivaled debut, Bueckers went 5-for-5 from the line, immediately placing herself at the top of the leaderboard.
This performance is particularly notable given that in her rookie WNBA season, only 19.5% of her points came from free throws, and she averaged just 4.2 attempts per game.
Analysts have long compared Bueckers‘ game to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and other elite playmakers like Chris Paul, noting her smooth decision-making and fluid midrange scoring.
By adding this new element, she not only increases her scoring efficiency but also adds a tactical edge that could make her nearly impossible to guard. If she successfully integrates these techniques, Bueckers could be on a path to elevate her game to MVP-level status in the WNBA, following in the footsteps of the players she studies.
Read the full article here
