Paige Bueckers continues to make history. The Dallas Wings‘ (9-27) recent narrow defeat against the Los Angeles Sparks (17-18) ended 81-80. But that didn’t stop the 23-year-old rookie from shining.
Kelsey Plum led her team to victory and was responsible for sinking the game-winning shot at the buzzer, effectively ending Dallas and Chicago Sky’s fight for a spot in the playoffs.
However, Bueckers added 44 points, four rebounds, and three assists. Her big score made her the player with the most points scored this season.
In addition, she tied Cynthia Cooper’s rookie scoring record, a mark that had stood for 28 years. And as if that weren’t enough, she also surpassed her personal record of 35 in the WNBA and 40 at UConn.
In light of this brilliant performance, her teammate, Arike Ogunbowale, dedicated a short but heartfelt post to her. The four-time All-Star, who is currently sidelined with tendinitis in her right knee, was dazzled and wrote “ROY” on her official X account, a nod to the initials of “Rookie of the Year” for which Paige could compete.
Bueckers vs. Citron
The truth is that the fight for the WNBA Rookie of the Year award has intensified. Bueckers is one of the favorites to win it, but she’s not the only one.
She averages 18.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.7 steals per game and has received the WNBA Rookie of the Month award twice, in June and July. In addition, she is the first rookie guard to record 350+ points and 100+ assists in the first 20 games of her career and the fastest player to score +500 points and 150+ assists (she only needed 28 games), among other notable records.
But Sonia Citron is not far behind. The Washington Mystics point guard averages 15.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. She is also more efficient than Paige both from the field (46.6% vs. 45.8%) and from deep (41.3% vs. 31%).
On the other hand, she has beaten Bueckers in their two head-to-head matchups and, unlike Dallas, her team is only 1.5 games away from securing a spot in the playoffs.
The truth is that only time will tell which of the two will win this award.
Meanwhile, Bueckers is preparing for her next home game against the Seattle Storm (18-18) on Friday night.
Citron, meanwhile, will face the Connecticut Sun on Thursday, August 21, at Mohegan Sun Arena.
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